Chicken-Chorizo Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise

These “burgers” were really good and had a lot of flavor.  I altered the recipe a little, because there were just two of us eating them.  I used 2 chicken breasts and 1 chorizo sausage.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup low-fat mayo
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
a splash of fresh lime juice
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, seeded
1/2 pound chorizo sausage
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Prepare grill or preheat broiler.  To prepare mayo, combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor.  Blend until smooth. To prepare burgers, remove casings from sausage.  Place sausage tortillas, salt and chicken in a food processor.  Mix until coarsely ground.  Divide into 8 equal portions.  Place patties on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

North Woods Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
14 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 (15.8 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-ounce)

DIRECTIONS
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray.  Add carrots, onion, garlic and kielbasa; saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.  Add broth, Italian seasoning, pepper and beans.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.  Place 2 cups of soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.  Return pureed mixture to a pan, and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove soup from heat.  Add spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.
Calories: 227; Fat 3.9; Protein 18.1; Carbs. 30.8; Fiber 6.7 g.

Easy Soup Recipes

Here are two really easy soup recipes that are literally right out of the can.  They’re both surprisingly really good.  We’ve been making the 8 can soup for years and it’s really healthy, so we thought we’d share it.  Don’t drain any of the cans and just heat through.. 

6 Can Tortilla Soup
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained
8 Can Soup
1 can green beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced potatoes
1 can Hormel chili with beans
1 can Hormel chili without beans
1 can Campbell’s old fashioned vegetable soup
1 can Vegall

Easy Dessert

I saw this brownie recipe on a friend’s blog and thought we’d give it a try.  It literally could not be easier and it’s a new fun snack.

INGREDIENTS
1 box of devil’s food cake mix
1 can of pumpkin

DIRECTIONS
Mix them together and bake at 350 for 40 min. or until done.

Apple-Butterscotch Brownies

Yesterday we went to the Altapass Orchard along the Blue Ridge Parkway and it was such a neat experience. We thought that it would be a lot of fun to actually pick some apples in the mountains.  It was a beautiful fall day and so picturesque.  Definitely something that we’ll be venturing out and doing again.  We came home with a huge peck of apples, and I knew that I wanted to try out a different recipe with them.  So this time, it was apple-butterscotch brownies.  To say the least, the brownies didn’t disappoint.  We did alter the recipe some though and although it called for three cups of peeled/diced apples, we only used one and added butterscotch chips. 



INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup pelled and diced apples

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.  Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 – 10 minutes.  Stir together brown sugar and next 3 ingredients.  Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients; add to brown sugar mixture and stir until blended.  Stir in apples and pecans.  Pour mixture into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 350 for 30 – 40 minutes.

Ham and Navy Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS
A 1 pound bag of dry navy beans or
3 cans of canned navy beans
3 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
7 Cups Water
1 Cup Milk
2 Chopped Celery Stalks
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
3 Sliced Carrots
1 Large yellow onion (chopped)
1/4 Cup chopped Fresh Parsley
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 pounds Smoked Ham Hock
1 10 ounce can of tomato soup

DIRECTIONS
Soak the beans overnight for 8 hours. Pour the beans in a stock pot, add 4 cups water and simmer for 45 minutes on medium heat. Stirring occasionally. While the navy beans are cooking skim the top with a large spoon to get rid of any foam. While the beans are cooking, in a separate pot add 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 3 cups water and 1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hock. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and simmer on medium high heat for 30 minutes.  While the broth and ham is simmering add 2 minced or crushed garlic cloves, 1/4 cups chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. After simmering the ham and broth for 35 minutes, pull the ham hock out and set it on a plate or in a bowl. Now strain the broth into a bowl so that we can get some of those nasty white chunks of fat and grizzle out of there. Now pick out the pieces of ham that's in the strainer / colander that you would like to save and put them back in the pot after picking off any unwanted fat. Do the same with the other ham that you put on a plate. Now strip the bone totally and add it back to the pot. By this time the beans should have cooked about 40-45 minutes. So keep the heat on and pour the broth in the pot with the beans and then add the ham and the ham bone. Now pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large frying pan and heat the oil on medium high. Now add 1 large chopped onion, 3 thinly sliced carrots, and 2 finely chopped celery stalks and saute for about 4 minutes. Stirring frequently. After sauteing for 4 minutes add the saute mix to the beans along with 1 cup of milk and 1 10 ounce can of tomato soup. Now simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. You will have to watch it after adding the milk because it tends to bubble over if the stove is on too high. On the 20 minute mark the recipe for navy bean soup is finished. Let it sit for a few minutes and skim the top with a large spoon to get rid of the film on the top which is extra fat that you may not want.

Perfect Party Sangria

This is a great Sangria recipe and perfect for a little siesta on a warm day!  It’s best when made and chilled for 24 hours.  Also, don’t add the Ginger Ale until right before you serve it.

INGREDIENTS
1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja, Zinfandel, Shiraz)
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
1 Lime cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
Splash of orange juice or lemonade
2 Shots of gin or triple sec (optional)
1 Cup of raspberries or strawberries (may use thawed or frozen)
1 Small can of diced pineapples (with juice)
4 Cups ginger ale

A Good Try at Traditional Paella

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups enriched white rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken broth or stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into thirds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 pound chorizo, casing removed and sliced on an angle
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, 24 shrimp
18 green lipped mussels, cleaned
1 cup frozen peas
2 lemons zested

GARNISH
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 scallions, chopped
Lemon wedges
Crusty, bread for passing

DIRECTIONS
In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheated over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, add rice and saute 2 or 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, broth, and thyme and bring liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.  In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add peppers and onions to the pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Add chorizo to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.
After about 13 minutes, add shellfish to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, scatter lemon zest over the rice and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture and lift out bay and thyme stems, now bare of their leaves. Arrange cooked chicken and peppers, onions and chorizo around the pan. Top with parsley and scallions. Serve with wedges of lemon and warm bread.

Best Stir-Fried Chicken

We thought this was a really good recipe and I especially liked it because it was really easy.  It’s from Gweneth Paltrow’s cookbook, My Father’s Daughter. I added a lot of vegetables like cooked carrots, broccoli and snow pea pods as well.  Definitely a winner.

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
2 TBS. cornstarch
2 TBS. vegetable oil
1/4 cup peeled and minced garlic
1/4 cup peeled and minced ginger
1/2 cup minced scallions
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 TBS. soy sauce
2 TBS. coarsely chopped cilantro – for serving

DIRECTIONS
Toss the chicken with the cornstarch, a large pinch of salt and quite a bit of pepper.  Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and chili flakes, stirring for 1 minute.  Add the chicken and cook stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add the vinegar, sugar, and 5 or 6 grinds of black pepper.  Boil on high for 3 minutes, or until the sugar has really caramelized the vinegar has mellowed a bit, and the whole mixture is dark brown and sticky.  Add the soy sauce and cook for another 30 seconds.  Sprinkle with cilantro.

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

INGREDIENTS
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds Portobello mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup button mushrooms
1 cup freshly ground Parmesan

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.  For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.  Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.  To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.  Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Graham Nut Cluster

I saw this recipe in the latest edition of Southern Living and thought that it looked like a fun snack.  And like always, it was another good one. 

INGREDIENTS
6 cups honey graham cereal
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
wax paper
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup M n M’s

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cereal and next 2 ingredients in a very large bowl.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat with sugar and corn syrup.  Melt through until bubbling.  Poor over dry mixture.  Spread in a single layer on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 min.  Transfer to wax paper and cool.  Add chocolate and pretzels.

Pasta Alle Melenzana (Eggplant Pasta)

This recipe was amazing and I’ll definitely be eating the leftovers tomorrow for lunch.  So good!  But beware if you try to make it.  I kind of did my own thing and used less than half of the ingredients. Even with one eggplant it made a lot.  I also tried to take a picture, but have you ever seen a cooked eggplant? Not very pretty, so I didn’t include it.  But trust me, that a picture couldn’t do it justice.

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
3 large eggplants, chopped (5 cups)
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Leaves from 10 to12 sprigs of fresh basil
Kosher salt
10 to15 plum tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 1/2 pounds dry fettucine
1/2 pound packaged mozzarella, cut into 1/2-cubes
1.1 pounds fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-cubes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Heat 1/2 cup of oil and the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and eggplant and cook gently over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until tender. It may be necessary to add more oil as the eggplant soaks the oil up quickly. Towards the end of cooking time, add the whole garlic cloves and half of the basil leaves.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin splits and the tomatoes are softened. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place them in a mesh colander set over a large bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid.
When they are cool enough to handle, core the tomatoes and peel off the skin. Using clean hands, squish the tomatoes, pushing the pulp through the sieve into the bowl underneath. At first you will have a watery liquid. Add the tomato liquid to the eggplant and then continue to push the tomato pulp through the sieve, until you have only seeds and hard pulp pieces left. Finally, add the rest of the pulpy liquid to the eggplants and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sugar and continue to cook for 10 more minutes, until thickened.
In the meantime, bring the reserved cooking liquid back to a boil, add additional salt, and cook the fettucine according to directions on the package. Drain well.
To serve, spoon a third of the eggplant into a bowl and set aside. Toss the pasta in the saute pan with the remaining eggplant and add the packaged mozzarella. Place the mixture in a large serving bowl and top with the reserved eggplant, the fresh mozzarella and the Parmesan. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and serve hot.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Peach Pie

INGREDIENTS
Prepackaged Pillsbury Pie Crust
8 large fresh ripe peaches
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbsp. butter, cup into pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS
Peel peaches, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; cut slices in half.  Stir together brown sugar, next three ingredients; add peaches, stirring to coat.  Immediately spoon peach mixture into piecrust in pie plate with bottom layer of pie crust already in and dot with 1 1/2 tbsp. butter.  Place the rest of the pie crust on top of mixture and seal edges.  Brush with beaten egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tbsp. butter.  Cut to vent. Freeze pie for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat a jelly-roll pan in oven for 10 minutes.  Bake at 425 on lover oven rack for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375; bake for 4o minutes.

Peanut Butter Icing

INGREDIENTS
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.S

Pecan Chicken

INGREDIENTS
4 skinned and boned chicken breasts
3 tbs. honey
3 tbs. Dijon mustard
3 tbs. finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4 inch thick. Stir together honey and mustard; spread on both sides of the chicken and drench with pecans. Arrange in a lightly greased glass baking dish. Bake at350 for 15 to 18 minutes or until fully cooked.