Lasagna Soup

I always hesitate to try more then one new recipe in a week in fear of having to many “iffy” meals. My boys are becoming quite the food critics, in a good way, sort of.  So when I’m exploring my cookbooks or looking on Pinterest for new recipes to try, I try to keep to one new one a week. BUT this week I tried two. The first one was a twist to a recipe that I have made before and it was a fantastic turn out. So much so that my husband called to tell me It was fantastic. (We had different schedules that prevented us eating together last night) My kids even said “This is the best!” So having such success on one new recipe I was hesitant to try a new one. Because honestly in the past, I get excited and maybe prideful that a recipe turned out so well, and the next evening we end up eating grilled cheese because the recipe failed. Hahaha. But this week has been so flavorful, I just had to share this recipe.

I have actually had this recipe for a few years. My mom and another friend sent me this with each having a slight variation to it. I just never have tried it until today. It was one of those days I forgot to take out meat from the freezer, then homeschool mixed with public school band, and then Keith and I ended up spending the afternoon tapping our maple trees. We anticipate the weather to warm up above 32° and the sap to start flowing good tomorrow, so my afternoon was spent out in the 9° with a wind chill of -2°. Did I say I am looking forward to the warmer weather tomorrow? After a afternoon out in that wind chill, soup sounded really good. So I dug through my books looking for recipes using burger meat. I saw this one and had most of all the ingredients so I figured I would try it. Good thing I did, because my boys said this was a HOME RUN, the kind that they’d would run home for! SCORE!! With fresh bread this was the perfect soup to warm up to.
 
Lasagna Soup
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds of Italian sausage (now I didn’t have this, I used burger seasoned with 1 tsp Italian seasoning and 1 tsp Adobo)
3 chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano (I used 2 drops of oregano essential oil)
1/2 cup tomato sauce, half a can
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes with chilies
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz Mafalda or fusilli pasta ( I actually didn’t have this so I used a box of lasagna noodles that I did have, I just broke them into little pieces)
Salt and pepper to taste

For topping:
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
2 cups mozzarella cheese.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage or burger and brown. If using burger, add the Italian seasoning while browning. When brown add onions and cook till softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano. Cook one minute. Add tomato sauce. Stir well to incorporate. Cook about 3 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook till al dente. Do not over cook or the pasta will soak up all the liquid. If you want, cook the pasta separate and pour in your bowl an drink top it with your soup. That way the pasta won’t absorb all the liquid.

Mix together the ricotta, Parmesan and salt.

Serve up your bowl with pasta and  soup. Top with ricotta mixture and mozzarella. Stir well and enjoy with fresh bread. Delicious!

Chicken Thighs with Apple, Mushroom & Bacon Cream Sauce

According to my three little food critics, if I were to open a restaurant, this recipe would be the one to make me famous. It is the most requested dish in our house, besides tacos. It is a great recipe to have in Maine during apple season. But I make it year round. This recipe was created after finding one on Pinterest that I sounded yummy, but the process was not what I wanted. So I just went with it and created my own. I must say it is pretty tasty and my tough critics love it. So now I'm sharing it with you who read this.

Chicken Thighs with Apple, Mushroom & Bacon Cream Sauce

6 Chicken Thighs
2 TBSP oil
2 slices of bacon(diced)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 cup apple cider
1 cup water with bouillion cube (or chicken stock)
1/2 cup apple butter(or apple sauce)
2 cups chopped apples
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 heavy cream
1 TBSP corn starch(mixed in a little bit of water)
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper (I use Adobo which is a Puerto Rican seasoning). Place thighs in hot oil and cook till golden brown and a bit crispy, flip and cook other side. When cooked through move to plate till later.

In pan with drippings, add bacon and cook till done. Add onions and mushrooms, and cook till tender. about 5 minutes. Pour in Apple cider and Chicken stock. Mix in Apple butter and Italian seasoning. Mix well, add apples and cook on low about 5 minutes. Add Cream.  Mix in corn starch. Cook till thickened. Add chicken back to pan and simmer in cream sauce 5 minutes.

Serve with Wild Rice, roasted potatoes or our favorite is Roasted Butternut squash.

Taco Bowls

I found a recipe for Taco bowls that sounds delicious and I planned to make them later this week with the left over meat I made for tacos tonight. I mean it is Taco Tuesday, but keith is out of town so I knew we wouldn't eat all the meat tonight with just us 4.... or so I thought.  I have always had the best of intentions of making my own taco seasoning, to make it all healthy and MSG free and all that Jazz, but honestly, taco seasoning seemed easier! Well let me tell you, It's Not much faster and the flavor just doesn't cut it. You want to know why my sudden change of heart??... THIS RECIPE. I think I figured out the secret that is hiding in it, that I never would have thought to put in my taco meat, but man I will NEVER use pre-made taco seasoning again! My boys told me not to ever again to. So I made taco meat with all the intention of having leftovers for Thursdays Taco bowls..... but I better get out some more meat out of the freezer. my boys even want to make taco salad tomorrow. We shall see. I will be making the Taco Bowls on Thursday as planned and I will report back if they are delicious or not, but I will give you the recipe anyways just because the taco meat was delicious!

Taco Bowls

Cilantro Lime Rice:
2 TBSP Butter
1 1/4 cup basmati Rice
2 1/4 cup chicken broth
juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin

Add butter and dry rice to sauce pan. Heat over med heat till melted and rice is a little toasted. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and Reduce to low Cook 15- 20 Minutes when rice is done. Doesn't this rice sound AWESOME?!?!


Taco Meat:
1 1/2 pound burger meat
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp brown sugar(I think this is the secret ingredient!)
1/4 tsp black pepper
Now I cooked the burger till done and mixed all the spices together and then added it to the meat and mixed well. This is what I used for my taco meat.

Now to finish the Taco  Bowl meat add
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced chilies
1 can chili beans (do not drain)

For taco bowls layer your rice, meat and any toppings you want such as:
Corn Chips
shredded lettuce
cheese
chopped tomatoes
pico de gallo
guacamole
sour cream

Load it up and ENJOY!!!!

Halibut/Fish Supreme

I have been making this recipe since we lived in Alaska. Our good friend Rob would make it and it was fantastic! He kindly gave me the recipe and we make it often and think of Rob and Jen a lot! Though Halibut was a little hard to come by in North Carolina, I learned it works well with Amberjack and other firm white fish. It also does great in the crockpot! I will post the adjustments for that below. But this recipe is delicious and has my mouth watering just thinking about it and I am not much of a fish person!

Halibut/Fish Supreme

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TBSP flour
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tablespoon diced onions(I like more so I add about half an onion)
1/8 tsp  cayenne pepper( I use a cajun seasoning called "Slap ya Mama" Though I really suggest you NOT slap your mom, she might slap you back! )
2 pounds Halibut steaks ( I used Amberjack or any firm white fish I have on hand)

Preheat oven 425 degrees Lightly grease a baking dish
In a bowl, Mix the cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, flour, lemon juice, onion, and cayenne pepper. place the fish in the dish and cover with the cheese mixture.Bake 10 minutes in oven THEN REDUCE heat to 350 degrees and bake 15 -20 minutes more, till fish is flaky. I like to serve it with potatoes.

~To cook this in a slow cooker, I layers my seasoned  potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker, then I put the fish on top, topped it with the cheese mixture and I cooked it on high for 3 hours. My topping didn't get golden brown like I like it so I quickly transferred it to a broiler safe pan and broiled it for a few minutes till it was golden on top. This was a great way to fix dinner before a baseball game and come home to a yummy cooked dinner.

*I have not tried this on LOW in the slow cooker, so I don't know if it would work as well for LONG cooking times.

Irish Nachos

It's St. Patrick's Day and like all good (Not So) Irish people, we had to have some Irish food. Ok, since I have never been to Ireland, I am not a pro on this subject, but I have googled and researched and according to my research Potatoes, Corned Beef and Cabbage is Irish.... so let me know if I'm wrong. But I found a recipe that I really wanted to try called Rueben Nachos. However I dislike sauerkraut! Strongly! But I had an idea and changed the recipe. I actually changed it a lot. Here's my version of Irish  nachos.

Irish Nachos

Peel and slice 4 large potatos. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want (I used a Pampered Chef Rosemary blend) Layer on a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees till soft and edges are crisp. Scatter chopped corned beef over potatoes. Top with cheese. I used a fiesta blend and mozzarella. Bake till cheese is melted. When done top with ranch dressing. The recipe calls for sauerkraut but as I said before I dislike it, so I made a Zambian Cabbage.  Top the nachos and enjoy! 

For Zambian Cabbage, I heat some oil in a sauce pan, then add chopped onions and chopped tomatoes. Let it stew a little and then add Cabbage that is cut thin. Add just a little bit of water. Cover and let it cook and stir occasionally till its soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Korean Beef

First thing first. I am NOT Korean and I have never made Korean food before, but I love to EAT Korean Food! I won't ever try to spell anything we have eaten correctly, but our neighbor in Alaska who was Korean got Keith and I hooked on Korean food. Last night I was relaxing and planning out meals, which involves searching for "new to try" recipes on Pintrest. I ran across this recipe and then all of a sudden I was craving Korean food. Besides Sesame oil, I had all the ingredients! I made this Korean Beef for dinner and made white rice to go with it. Then I had an idea that these might make yummy Lettuce Wraps! Getting my kids to eat anything green is a challenge, but they gobbled this up!  It was super easy, super fast and super delicious! So I'm not claiming this to be authentic Korean food, but it sure tasted great and I was rewarded with 3 "you should make this again!" Score one for Mommy tonight!

Korean Beef
1 lbs Ground Beef
3 Garlic cloves
1/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger(the recipe called for 3 in of fresh ginger but I never know how to use that)
Cooked Rice
Roasted Sesame seeds -garnish
3 Scallions-garnish

Brown beef with garlic till the meat is a little crunchy. In a bowl mix Soy sauce, Brown sugar, Sesame oil and ginger. Pour over cooked beef and mix well and cook till heated through. Serve over rice.  Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. This is when we mixed up the rice and meat and loaded it into a leaf of lettuce. We will be eating this again!

Apple Butter Pork Loin

Fall is here on the coast of North Carolina and we just got back from a wonderful, refreshing trip to the North Carolina mountains. Nothing like cool, crisp air with fall colors all around to get you into a Fall-ish mood. I tried this recipe tonight and I found it Fall-tastic! Homey, Warm, and perfect for a fall dinner with your family. I served it with Kale and boiled potatoes. YUMMY! It was easy but it did take 3 hours of cooking in the oven. But let me tell you, the 3 hours were worth it. It was falling apart when I took it out. I didn't even need to slice it. It was such a cozy dinner to eat on this chilly evening.

Apple Butter Pork Loin
2 lb pork loin
seasoning salt (to taste)
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup apple butter ( I used Peach Butter I made, Recipe below)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Season the pork loin with seasoning salt and place pork loin in a baking dish or roasting pan. Pour apple juice over pork loin. Cover dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. While pork is cooking, mix together apple butter, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves.
Remove pork from oven. Spread apple butter mixture over pork. Cover and return to oven for 2 hours till fork tender.


 ~If you need a recipe for apple butter I posted it a while back in the Slow cooker section. Here is the link to it.
 Crock Pot Apple Butter/ Peach butter
 It was so easy and turned out delicious!

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

This is one of my Go To recipes when I need a quick lunch or dinner for my family and friends. It is not fancy but it is tasty!

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

1 box Farfalle Pasta( I have used Rotini and Penne pasta for this too)
2 TBSP Olive oil(divided)
1 lb ground chicken (I normally DO NOT HAVE ground chicken so I just use chicken breast, cook it  and chop it)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 TBSP dried Oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 TBSP tomato paste
1 1/2 cup half & half (I use evaporate milk if I don't have this)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
1 cup fresh or 1 can rinsed and drained diced tomatoes
Fresh Spinach

Cook pasta according to box
Heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add ground chicken, salt, oregano, pepper. Cook till chicken is browned. Move to a plate and set aside.
In same skillet add 1 TBSP olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and salt. Saute 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir, and then add half and half slowly. Stir really well. Turn heat to low. Add Parmesan cheese and stir till melted and smooth. In a bowl add pasta, chicken, tomatoes, and spinach. Pour sauce over and stir. The heat will cook the spinach. Serve.   

Pagoda's Honey Walnut Shrimp(or Chicken)

Well, I must say it is about time I started blogging yummy recipes again. We have made a giant move from Galena Alaska to Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina. Our house is some what set up and I have my computer back up and running. We are out in the country and loving it, so I figure it is a good thing to start off our new adventure with a BANG! And man is this recipe a bang!!! If you have ever been to Pagoda's in North Pole, Alaska you will know what this is! This is the appetizer EVERYONE orders! I even order it for my main meal. It is AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! If the capitalization does not give you a hint this stuff is awesome! Unless you are allergic to shrimp, like Keith, then I would suggest you NOT eat this.... BUT WAIT! I made this recipe with chicken and it was just as amazing as the shrimp! And what is even more awesome is the simpleness to this recipe. So I will not keep you from the deliciousness anymore and will get right to the recipe

Honey Walnut Shrimp(or Chicken)
1 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnut halves
3 TBSP Mayonaise
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp sweetened condensed milk
1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined(or I used about 4 chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 large egg beaten
1/2 - 1 cup corn starch

Heat 1/2 cup water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add sugar and stir constantly, until golden and thickened. Add Walnuts and sir to combine. Transfer to parchment paper lined plate. Let cool and break apart.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

 In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey and condensed milk. set aside

Season shrimp with salt and pepper to taste

Working one at a time dip shrimp in egg, then dredge in the cornstarch, pressing to coat.
Working in batches, add shrimp to the skillet 8-10 at a time. Fry until golden brown and crispy. About 2 mintues on each side. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.

In a Large bowl combine Shrimp and honey mixture, Serve immediately topped with walnuts. And if you want to be just like Pagodas add some fresh steamed broccoli to the plate.  I like to eat this with rice as well.

Being in North Carolina, Pagoda's is a LONG ways away but thankfully I can make this dish and enjoy some of their delicious food!

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Well today I tried a new recipe today and it was one of those iffy ones that I didn't really know how it would turn out. Well if an empty crockpot is any indication of how my family liked this, then I am adding this to the book of favorites! I was looking through recipes and saw this one that you put frozen chicken in for 6 hours. If you are like me, I always forget to get the frozen meat out the night before, so when I saw this was a from frozen to cooked, I'm going to try it. It turned out AWESOME!

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

2 chicken breast still frozen
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes(do not drain)
1 can corn(do not drain)
1can black beans(I used half because my boys don't like them much)
1 package ranch dressing powder
1TBSP cumin
1tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1pk(8on) cream cheese
Put chicken crock pot. Top with all ingredients except cream cheese. Mix well. Top with cream cheese. Cook on low 6-8 hours stirring during cooking. Shred chicken when done and add back to chili. Serve with rice or tortilla chips or taco shells. Serves 4

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken

I love rotisserie chicken! I love all the flavors, the crunchy skin and I love Stores that have them HOT and ready to go so you don't have to think of something for dinner. But living in the bush there are no stores that have them hot and ready to go and I don't have one of those cool Rotisserie Ovens either. But I found this recipe that says it is JUST like Rotisserie chicken except you cook it in the Crock Pot. So I saved it and save it and saved it. I never tried it. Mostly because Whole chickens are a little hard to come by here. Yes I could use grouse(a small bird) or Ptarmigan (another small bird) but since this winter we have not found many, this was not really an option. But thankfully the last time we were in town shopping, we bought a few whole chickens and brought them out. I kind of forgot we had them till I was re-arranging my freezer. So I pulled one out and planned to try this recipe. Keith was a little skeptical of my seasoning ability. He is usually the one who seasons any meat we are eating. He is also one of those people that don't need a recipe and everything they cook turns out yummy. Unlike me, who has to follow a recipe till I know it well enough to branch out on my own. So despite his weird look that I was going to season it, he let me. Then I prayed that I would not mess this up and that it would taste GREAT. If not my life as a seasoner would be finished! I know that is a lot of pressure on ones shoulders....hehehe. I just hoped my chicken would taste great and I would not have to admit that I can't season meat. But thankfully this recipe worked great! The chicken literally fell off the bone. It was actually really hard to get it out of the crock pot with out it falling to pieces. Though the skin was not crunchy when I took it out, I put it under the broiler to give it a nice crisp.

I am so glad this chicken turned out so yummy and my kids gobbled it up. Plus I set it up in the morning and had a long day at our local Spring Carnival with snow shoe races, ski races and dog sled races. And yes, to us in Galena, that is considered  Spring... anyways. After a long day, it was wonderful to come home to a cooked meat and all I had to do was make up the sides. So if you don't have one of those cool rotisserie cookers, you can make a delicious chicken in your Crock Pot! Try it! Easy and delicious! It is wonderful!

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken
1 whole chicken
2 TBSP paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 TBSP garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix all spices in a small bowl. Add water by the teaspoonful to spices mix till there is a paste. Rub paste all over the chicken. Inside and out. I even did what my husband does and cut a few small slits into the breasts and rubbed spices in that too. That gives more flavor to each bite. Coat chicken well with paste. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and place chicken in pot, breast side up. Cover and cook 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup

This is a delicious soup that is a good crowd pleaser. It is rather easy and is a pretty quick recipe to make. You can adjust the spice level to your liking. I actually don't make it spicy just so my boys will eat it.

Spicy Cheeseburger Soup
1 1/2 cup water
2 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
1 small onion chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
 1 TBSP Beef Bouillon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef, cooked
2 1/2 cup milk (divided)
3 TBSP flour
8 oz velvetta(you can use cheddar cheese too)
1/4 -1 tsp cayenne pepper(to your taste)
1/2 lb bacon cooked and chopped

In a sauce pan combine water, potatoes, onion, green pepper, jalapeno, garlic, Beef bouillon, salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes till potatoes are tender. Stir in beef and 2 cup milk. Heat thoroughly. Combine flour and remaining milk in a small bowl till smooth. Add the flour mixture to the soup. Bring to a boil, cook and stir about 2 minutes till it starts to thicken. Reduce heat and add cheese and cayenne. Stir till cheese is melted and soup is heated thoroughly. Serve and top with bacon. This serves about 6-8 people.

Indian/ Eskimo/Puerto Rican/ African........Worldly Fry bread! =)

This meal has become a favorite for our family. I don't know where the recipe is officially from and it changes depending on who you ask. Fry bread is a  flat tortilla like bread that you fry and it gets a bit puff and makes wonderful tacos. I first had Fry bread in New Mexico and they used it for a dessert with cinnamon and sugar on top. Then when we moved here, fry bread tacos were sold at many community events. The Athabaskan people(who mostly live in our village) say they were the ones to invent fry bread. Their people group are distantly related to the Indian people groups of the Lower 48. So I could see how fry bread would have spread to New Mexico as well as interior Alaska. The Eskimos on the coast also claim to have invented Fry Bread. So who know where it REALLY came from but I am glad all the different people groups and tribes eat it, that way we can see different ways to eat it. I was amazed to see how easy they were to make at home! So now a Puerto Rican and a Zambian have adopted it into our house and declared this World bread. No I did not invent it but I have experimented with different ways to use it. Fry Bread can be adapted to what you like. I love it as a taco but also love it as a dessert! Here is the recipe and a few ways we like to eat it!

Indian/ Eskimo/Puerto Rican/ African........Worldly Fry bread!  =)
3 cups Flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup milk
1/4-1/2 cup water.(enough to make dough come together)
Oil or Crisco for Frying

Stir Flour, Baking Powder, Salt together. Stir in Milk till it comes together as much as possible. Then add water to get it to come together well to form a ball. Cover in a bowl and rest 30-40 minutes. Heat 1-2 inches of oil in skillet over medium high heat. Grab a plumb size ball of dough and press flat with fingers. (what I have found is you press it down and let it rest while you do the other balls and then when you come back to it it will spread better.) Press into about a 8 inch circle. It doesn't have to be perfect. Heat oil in a skillet or pan or even deep fryer.  Then fry it on each side till they are golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel. These do not reheat to well. You can but they don't taste as great. So if you are making these, fresh is best!

For Tacos top bread with:
Meat
Beans
sour cream
cheese,
lettuce
tomatoes
salsa
guacamole
ANYTHING you like in a taco!

For Dessert:
~Dust it with Powder sugar
~Drizzle Honey and Cinnamon
~ Or Dust it with Cinnamon, Sugar, Honey and Powder sugar =)
~ Make a Fruit Taco
~ serve with Jam or Nutella!! OH YEAH!!

Salmon Tacos

I was never really a fish eater. Don't get me wrong, I eat it but it was never something I ordered when I went to a restaurant unless it was a Fish & Chips kind of a joint. I love fried fish at fish fries and I would eat it if that is what we were having for dinner but I was more of the shrimp kind of a person. But when we moved to Alaska I knew that I would have to learn to love fish. Before we move I copied hundreds of different Salmon recipes and some other fish recipes since I knew Salmon would be a major part of our meal plans here. Many of the recipes we didn't like so I tossed them but this is one that we have kept and made. It is rather quite simple but you have to be careful not to over cook the fish. I use Salmon in this but I am sure any white fish would be good too.

These seriously are easy and delicious! And with winter here, it kind of transported me to the tropics....kind of! I can imagine sitting at a small beach cafe somewhere under the palm trees eating these. Watching the waves crash and drinking a cold Coke. Yep I am transported!

 Salmon Tacos
1 lb salmon (skinned and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1/2 TBSP cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 limes quartered ( I didn't have lime and used lemon juice and it was still delicious but fresh limes would be AMAZING!)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained, ( I used Rotel and actually didn't drain it)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Toss cubed salmon in cumin and chili powder. Set aside.
Heat large skillet over medium heat and cook onions for about 2 minutes, till soft
Add Salmon to skillet. Lightly sear salmon on each side. turn them gently so they don't break apart. About 3 minutes. DON'T OVER COOK! The salmon will continue cooking through out the next steps. Add canned tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions. Gently stir and heat throughly. Squeeze Lime juice over salmon, Stir and plate up. Serve with warm tortillas or crunchy taco shells. I recommend the hard shell tacos to give a crunch but I also love these with fresh corn tortillas! Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado, lettuce, shredded cabbage or any other toppings you like on your taco. 

Homemade Corn Dogs

Since our last trip to Texas allowed us to test my son Kaden for his egg allergy and find out that he finally outgrew the allergy, I finally got to introduce him to corn dogs. It became both of my sons favorite. They ate them EVERYWHERE. Isaiah loved them even more then Kaden but both ate them all around the state. When we got back here, they were sad that we couldn't buy any more. Thankfully I knew I had my moms recipe for homemade corn dogs that she made for us in Zambia. My boys were thrilled. These turn out really good and are really easy to make.

Corn dogs
1lb hotdogs dry off juices
2/3 cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk

Dry off hotdogs really well. Mix all ingredients together. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pan. You want the oil to completely cover the corn dogs. Coat the hotdogs with batter. Dip into hot oil. Make sure all side gets touched by oil or the batter will fall off. Cook till golden brown. These cook pretty fast so keep an eye on them.

Chicken Schnitzel with a Mushroom/Cheese Sauce

One of my favorite holidays growing up was our trip to Europe. Because of rules with the Mission Board back then, returning to the USA was not allowed but traveling to other countries was. So our family decided to take a trip to Europe and travel around and see all the places Jesse(my brother) was learning about in his school. It was AWESOME!! We rented a small popup van, where literally the roof popped up and became a sleeping area where Jesse and I slept. Then the bench/ couch in the back became a fold out bed where Mom and Dad slept. The van had a small little kitchen, VERY SMALL but it was perfect. We got to travel through many countries looking at Castles, Cathedrals, Museums, Art, beautiful landscapes and of course the Sound of Music tour. The sites were amazing! Castles filled with treasures that we dreamed about and gardens and flowers that made you think you were a princess. We climbed the mountains like the Von Trapp family did and learned many things about the movie that changed our whole point of view. We got to see the Swiss Alps, the Black Forest, many famous rivers, Windmills,  and so many tulips. It was a trip of a life time.

But along with the sites, we got to try amazing food! Swiss and German chocolate, Crepe houses where every plate was some sort of yummy crepe, German sausages, amazing cheeses and Schnitzel. We would eat breakfast and lunch in the van while traveling to our next destination. Most of the time it was a combination of yummy sausages and yummy bread and cheese. Though my mom might tell you differently but from what I remember there was no complaining with those options! At dinner we would eat at a restaurant. Because none of us spoke German, Dutch or any other European languages, ordering food was quite interesting. With none of the menus in English and very few people speaking English, it was a challenge.  But after a few guesses and learning what certain words meant, Schnitzel and Bratwurst became a constant. We would order at least one of those and then be adventurous and order an "unknown" meal and see what we ended up. Most of the time we got delicious plates of food, unless you count the sauerkraut that Dad always ordered. I don't know how anyone eats that, but for some reason Dad loves it! During that trip Schnitzel became one of my favorites dishes. You could change up the meat between pork and chicken and then the cream sauce on top. Mushroom or cheese or any other sauce that they would make could be switched too. OH SO YUMMY!!

When I have pork or chicken breast available this is one of the dishes I like to make. I made this for Keith a few nights ago and he didn't want to share. I take that as a good sign. Though my boys didn't like the mushrooms in the sauce I made they did like the chicken. Oh how I hope to be able to travel to Europe when my boys are bigger and let them have as much fun there as I did as a child. But until then we will enjoy the Schnitzel at home.


Chicken Schnitzel
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 large breasts)
1 cup flour for dredging
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs, matzo meal, or panko
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Fresh lemon wedges for garnish
 
Pound the Chicken to about 1/4 inch thick.  Set up 3 bowls for the ingredients. In the first add the flour. In the second bowl, beat the eggs. In your third bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, paprika, 1 tsp salt and Sesame seeds(I don't use these) mix well. Pour oil into a skillet deep enough to fry. About 1/2 inch. Heat over medium heat. Dip each chicken breast in Flour, then the egg, then the panko mixture. Place in hot oil. Fry on each side 3-4 minutes till golden. Remove to a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt for flavor and serve warm with a lemon slice.

You can totally eat this all by itself but I like to add a white sauce

 White sauce
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
Cheese
Sauteed mushrooms

Melt butter in heavy sauce pan. Blend in flour and salt cooking and stirring till bubbly. Using a whisk to prevent lumps, stir in milk. Cook till smooth and thickened. I then add some chopped sauteed mushrooms and some cheese and stir till the cheese is melted.  Serve over Schnitzel.

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup

Today it is chilly in Texas. Sounds strange for an Alaskan to say that but here you have yo factor in the wind AND humidity. It bites to the core!!  So today we need some nice warm soup to keep us warm. This is the recipe that taste JUST like the soup from Panera Bread. It is one of my favorite items to order from there. I like it in a bread bowl or with some bread on the side to dip in it. Yum! Enjoy!

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP Flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup Half & Half( I use evaporated milk)
2 (14.5 oz) cans Chicken Broth
1 (16oz) package frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup Julianne cut carrots or shredded carrots
1 pound loaf Velvetta cheese
8 oz shredded Cheddar Cheese
salt and pepper to taste. ( i didn't add salt because the cheese is already salty)

In a large sauce pan, melt together butter and onions on low to medium heat. cook a few minutes to cook onions a bit. Add flour and mix well. Slowly add Half & Half a little at a time while whisking till thickened and smooth. When incorporated add Velvetta and stir till completely melted. Add broccoli and mix. Add Broth one cup at a time mixing well. When mixed well, add carrots and simmer about 20 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking add the cheddar cheese. Serve when all the cheese is melted completely. Serve with some warm bread.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Today it is a brittle -10 and tomorrow is expected to be near the -30's. And when I say brittle, I mean that anything that is plastic breaks when you move it! Extension cords, toy dump trucks, sleds, they all are breakable and brittle at that temp. So today on this brittle day we are having this soup. Though tonight I am going to try this with taco meat instead of chicken, mostly because I have plenty of moose but have a small limited supply of chicken. This is a flavorful soup and perfect for cold nights like tonight!

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 chicken boneless chicken breasts.(Or 1 lb taco meat cooked, I am actually using stew meat)
2 cans Rotel tomatoes (if you don't have rotel you can use salsa)
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 onion chopped
2 cans chicken broth
1-2 cups water
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP dried cilantro
tortilla chips(you can bake cut corn tortillas to make crunchy chips too)
sour cream
Cheese Mexican blend or cheddar.

Put chopped onion, cans of beans, Rotel, corn, broth, water and spices in Crockpot. Stir to mix. Put chicken on top of mixture. Make sure they are partly submerged in liquid. Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours. Before serving, take chicken breast out and shred. put back in soup. Stir and serve. Put chips on the bottom of bowls, ladle soup over  and top with cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

Carino's Bow Tie Festival

Today I really REALLY wanted to be able to go OUT to eat and pasta was what I wanted! But since there is no Olive Garden or Carino's around I figured I would test out a recipe that I had found. I really love Carino's Bow Tie Festival but have never tried making it and this recipe was a copy cat one. It turned out great and tasted almost just like it! It might taste exactly like it if I would have had heavy whipping cream but all I had was evaporated milk and I didn't have any fresh onions and used dried chopped onions. But it did turn out great and will be made again!

Bow Tie Festival
1 ounce melted butter

1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic

1/8 cup diced red onion (I used dried chopped onions)

1/4 cup diced cooked bacon

1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes

1 cup sliced, cooked chicken

1 ounce heavy (whipping) cream ( I used evaporated milk)

1 jar of Ragu Alfredo sauce (I made my own version... recipe below)

1/8 cup Asiago cheese
 ( I didn't have this either but used Parmesan)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

10 ounces pre-cooked Bow-tie Noodle

In a heated sauté pan, combine butter, garlic, onions, bacon, tomatoes, chicken, and spice mixture. When onions begin to turn translucent, add heavy cream and Asiago cheese. Once cheese and cream have reduced by half, add Alfredo sauce and bow-tie pasta. Toss until well combined and remove from fire. Allow pasta to cool for a few minutes so the cheese and sauce can thicken


Easy Alfredo sauce
1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream ( I used evaporated milk)
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/4 cup parsley

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.

Zuppa Toscana

The other night, Keith was checking Facebook and he ran across a recipe. He shared it with me and said you should make this. We have most of the ingredients and it looks really good! I have seen this recipe go around Facebook for a while now and figured it did look good and super easy. So yesterday I browned the sausage and threw it in the crock pot and waited to try it for dinner. I was glad it turned out so well. Even my boys ate it all out of their bowls and they don't normally eat Spinach and potatoes. So I am sharing the recipe with you in case you haven't seen it on Facebook. It is a good soup!

Zuppa Toscana
1 lb Italian sausage( I used our fresh made bear Italian sausage)
4-6 potatoes chopped
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup bacon
2 TBSP minced garlic
32 oz ( 4 cups) chicken broth
1 cup Kale/ Swiss Chard/ Spinach chopped(I used frozen spinach and it worked great too)
1 cup heavy whipping cream(I used evaporated milk)
2 TBSP flour
Brown sausage. Place sausage in Slow cooker. add potatoes, garlic, and broth. (If you need a little more water to cover the meat and potatoes add some. I didn't need any more. Cook on high for 3-4 hours low 6-7 hours till potatoes are soft. 30 minutes before serving, mix cream and flour together. Remove all lumps. Pour into slow cooker and mix in well. Add Kale stir. Cook on high 30 more minutes till thickens, Add salt, pepper and Cayenne for flavor. Enjoy!