Crockpot Tomato Basil Soup

I love this soup! I actually just made this for a ladies night in our ward and everybody loved it and wanted the recipe, so I thought I would share it with you guys too! I can't remember where I got the recipe :)

INGREDIENTS:

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried or fresh oregano
1 TBSP dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 bay leaf (I just use a whole one)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half (I use skim milk)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onion, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2)Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, until flavors blended and veggies soft.
3)About 30 min before serving, prepare roux. Melt butter over low heat in a large skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. (add additional oregano and basil if needed).
4)Cover and cook on low for another 30 min, or until ready to serve.

Spiced Honey-Glazed Chicken and Pineapple

This is our new favorite chicken recipe.  It's so yummy!  We've made it a couple times, one time with the grilled pineapple (which was amazing) and one time without.  The glaze is amazing and this is coming from someone who doesn't really like onions!

Spiced Honey-Glazed Chicken and Pineapple
From: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup honey

• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (We don't have any of this so I put in a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper)

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4 pounds)

• Salt

• 1 pineapple peeled, cored and cut into 8 thick rings
• 
  

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the honey, hot pepper sauce and chili powder and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
2. Preheat a grill or large grill pan to medium-high (we've used both a charcoal grill and a George Foreman and both turned out great!). Rub the chicken with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt. Grill until well marked, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook until the bottoms are well marked and the chicken is cooked through, another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and brush with the reserved honey glaze. Cover with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, grill the pineapple until well marked on one side, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with the chicken.

Cookie dough bites

Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients:
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/2 C light brown sugar, packed
2 TBS milk or cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C mini Chocolate chips

Instructions:
1.  In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  2-3 minutes.  Mix in milk and vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated.  Stir in chocolate chips.  ( or be creative with the add-ins ie:  toffee chips, m&m's, crushed butter finger etc.)

2.  Chill in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.  Then roll into small balls depending on the size you want.  1/8 tsp works well for ice cream toppings.  (I freeze the tiny balls on a single layer till hard and then store in a ziplock bag.

3.  Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing (Healthy Version)

This is delightful dressing! I made a batch and have used it as a marinade for both grilled and baked chicken, put it on tacos, and as a dressing for salad. YUM! And it's healthy :) I got it from the "Tastes Lovely" food blog, which I found on Pinterest.

Ingredients:

• 4 tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 large jalapeno (I used a 4th of a jalapeno and that was PLENTY for me) 
• 2 cloves of garlic
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 packed cup cilantro, leaves and stems OK
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, or 2 tablespoons homemade ranch dressing mix
• 1 cup non fat plain greek yogurt
• ¼ milk
• pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450. Roast the tomatillos, garlic cloves and jalapenos, whole. After 10 minutes turn the tomatillos and jalapeno, remove the garlic since it should be golden and roasted. Return to oven for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes. Peel the skin from the jalapeno, slice the jalapeno in half and remove the seeds. In a blender, add the charred tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic cloves along with the lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, ranch dressing mix, greek yogurt, milk, salt and pepper. Blend until combined. Makes 1-1/4 cups. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week in an airtight container.

Baked Egg Rolls

Sometimes I like these and sometimes I don't but I keep promising to share the recipe with Carlee so I'll just post it here instead!

Baked Egg Rolls
(Can't remember where I got the recipe, sorry!)

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
2 cups savoy cabbage, chopped (I use a whole head)
2 cups of shredded carrots (2 large)
2 cups of bean sprouts
1 can of water chestnuts, chopped (I leave these out)
2 TBSP green onions, sliced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP corn starch
1/4 cup water
14 egg roll wraps

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the cabbage, sprouts, carrots, chestnuts, and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables just begin to wilt but still remain a bit crisp. Mix the corn starch with the water and mix thoroughly. Add the corn starch mixture soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions.  Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place 2 tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrap. Fold according to package directions.

Place in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over.  Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.  Serve with dipping sauce of your choice (I usually just google "egg roll dipping sauce" and use whatever one I have the ingredients for).

**They freeze really nicely.  Reheat in microwave for about 2 minutes***

Copycat Papa John's Pizza Crust

Jeremy loves homemade pizza and this is our favorite crust thus far!  We usually half the recipe and make one big pizza. It was a huge hit at our homemade pizza activity for our residents while we were RA's.

Copycat Papa John's Pizza Recipe:

(Makes 3 pizzas)

Ingredients:

8 cups all-purpose flour

6 Tablespoons sugar

6 3/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)

6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. (Even though it says not to dissolve the yeast, I usually do anyway). Gradually add water and oil to mixture.  Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl.  On a lightly floured surface, knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.  Press out dough onto 3 pizza pans.  Poke the dough randomly with a fork.  Let rise again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.  Brush crusts lightly with oil and bake them for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and top as desired.  Bake for 4-5 more minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

(Recipe from Food.com)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I love taquitos! Especially these, because they are baked! YUM! Credit goes to "Our Best Bites" cookbook

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese (I use neufschetel)
1/4 cup green salsa 
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3 TBSP chopped cilantro 
2 TBSP chopped green onions
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup cheese (pepper jack or whatever you have-colby jack, Monterrey Jack)
6 -inch corn or flour tortillas-have at least 12 tortillasPlace u
nonstick cooking spray
salt

Directions: 

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray. 

2. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 15-20 seconds, so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken, and cheese.

3. If your tortillas are stiff or dry, wrap up 3-4 at a time in a wet paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds.

4. Place 2-3 TBSP of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 in. from the edges, and then roll it up nice and tight.

5. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with veggie oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt on top. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 min or until crisp and ends start to get golden brown. Cool for 5-10 min and the serve with sour cream, guacamole (YUM) or I also like to put some of my extra green salsa on them!

Freezer Instructions: Place unbaked taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in freezer for 2 hours or until frozen enough to hold their shape. Packin a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To bake, follow the regular instructions, extending the baking time by 10 min.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

These are DELICIOUS meatballs! Credit goes to "Our Best Bites" cookbook

Ingredients: 

MEATBALLS

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
2 TBSP dehydrated onion
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs

SAUCE

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 TBSP flour
1 1/2 cups water or pineapple juice (I like the pineapple juice)
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 TBSP soy sauce

**I like to add in pineapple chunks

Directions: 

1. In a medium bowl, combine meatball ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place under the broiler in your oven for 5-7 minutes or until the meatballs begin to brown.

2. In a large saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. **I add the pineapple chunks about 10 min. into the simmer. 

3. Serve over rice. 

Crock Pot Version: After bringing the sauce mixture to a boil, transfer it to a slow cooker and add the meatballs. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. (I have never tried this...let me know if you do and how it turns out!)

Freezer Meal Version: Follow the directions as written through adding the meatballs to the sauce. Rather than placing the meatballs in the pan with the sauce, place them in a freezer-safe container and pour the sauce over them. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, invert the container into a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.