Continuing my "fiesta" theme with SOUP!

First, let me preface with this, I am the worst soup maker! I am not exaggerating. I have tried before and ultimately have failed every time! I'm not sure why...I would follow the recipes...I would watch people make soup on television...but for whatever reason, I am NOT a soup maker.

Since I do not enjoy being defeated, I thought I would try again. When I found this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I wanted to try this recipe and I wanted to do it last week when the weather was cooler, but I didn't have a morning where I could put it together in the crock pot...

So, today is the day...thankfully it is cloudy (now), so I can look outside of my window and think that it is cooler (not that i'm complaining...I don't enjoy being cold)...anyway....

Here it goes....

Zippy Chicken Soup

(Inspired by Chicken Enchilada Soup by Home Is Where the Holmans Are)

Ingredients (I apologize...there are A LOT)

*2 chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
*1 green pepper, diced
*1 red pepper, diced
*1 small yellow onion, diced
*1/2 to 1 jalapeno, sliced (and seeded if you prefer)
*4 cloves garlic, minced
*1-2 diced fresh tomatoes
*2 c. frozen corn
*1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
*1 c. uncooked rice
*1 can tomato paste
*2 tsp SoFrito sauce (or enchilada sauce)
*1 tsp. ground cumin
*1 tsp. chili powder
*4 c. chicken stock
*1 c. salsa
*fresh cilantro (1/4 c. and enough for garnish)
*pepper jack cheese (shredded)
*tortilla chips
(optional: sour cream)

(I told you it was a lot!)

Step by Step

Basically, you need to put all of the above ingredients into the crock pot. It doesn't matter the order. I started with the chicken stock and the "liquid" ingredients. Then, whisked those together.


Then, I threw everything into the liquid (with the exception of the cheese and chips.) Stirring occassionally. I cubed the chicken and put that in last.

Cook time 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 on low.

When it is time to serve the soup, mix in cheese and cilantro. Top with chips and sour cream.

Chicken Enchilada....PIZZA!

If you couldn't tell, I LOVE to put different toppings on the pizzas I make. However, when we actually get a pizza...it's always a cheese pizza. And, just as a quick add-in...boy do I miss Mario's Pizza in Clearwater, FL...they were the best! So, if you're ever in the Clearwater area...make sure you check them out!

Anyway, back to my newest topping endeavour....

Chicken Enchilada Pizza

Ingredients

*1 chicken breast, cubed
*half red pepper, sliced
*half green pepper, sliced
*half small yellow onion, thinly sliced
*cilantro
*1/4 c. Goya Sofrito Tomato cooking base (use enchilada sauce if you can't find this)
*fresh tomato, diced
*chili powder
*pizza sauce
*pizza crust (I used the red pepper one again!)
*shredded mexican cheese blend

Step By Step

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cook chicken over medium heat. Season with chili powder, cilantro and salt and pepper.
3. Remove chicken from heat. Use the same pan for peppers, onions, cilantro and Sofrito sauce.
Cook the veggies until they are soft. Also, with the cilantro, add in some of the stems..they have the MOST flavor. (I remove the stems after the veggies are cooked)

4. Add chicken back in and mix together.

5. PAM spray the pizza crust. Spread pizza sauce over the crust.
6. Add chicken and veggies over the sauce. Then, top with cheese.

7. Add diced tomatoes and cilantro on top of the cheese. Add more chili powder if desired.
8. Reduce the heat down to 425 degrees. Bake the pizza for 7-8 minutes.

We furthered the "spice" and topped the pizza with red pepper flakes before eating...

A few side notes...
First, I truly feel the freshly diced tomatoes REALLY made this pizza. It made the freshness of the ingredients really jump out.

Second, while I was home the other day, I stocked up on a local favorite...I love when I'm in Altoona the Delgrosso sauces are usually $1.00 a piece! We definitely took advantage and the transportation by car is MUCH easier than transporting them by suitcase back to Florida. So YUMMY!

http://www.delgrossosauce.com/

Steak Sandwiches...even BETTER as leftovers!

This recipe was meant to be a "Philly cheesesteak" style recipe, but much to my dismay, I had didn't have anything to truly marinade the beef in, so I had to improvise and hope for the best. The night of, the sandwiches turned out to be pretty tasty....BUT, apparently, as a lunch leftover the next day, Ryan said they were EVEN better! So, this could even be a make ahead meal! (with exception of the bread)

Steak Sandwich

Ingredients

*small yellow onion, sliced
*green pepper, sliced
*1 lb beef...I used filets that I thinly sliced
*6 drops of worchestire sauce (that was all I had! Please use a steak sauce you have!)
*salt/pepper
*Montreal Steak Seasoning (I used this due to the 6 drops of steak sauce)
*fresh rolls, sliced
*slices of Provolone cheese

Step by Step

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cook peppers and onions on medium heat. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
3. Remove peppers and onions from heat.
4. Season the sliced steak. Cook the sliced steak; cook to JUST BEFORE desired "doneness"
5. Add peppers and onions back in with the meat.
6. Place a piece of provolone cheese on a roll. Place the rolls under the broil. WATCH that the rolls DO NOT LET THEM BURN (you will be sad if this happens!).
7. Add the steak, peppers and onions to the roll.
8. Serve with the delicious potato fries!

Said it before...

Once again...I made my own French fries and this time was the best yet!!
You MUST soak your pieces of potatoes in salty water and you MUST soak them for a couple hours!
This time I sliced the potatoes like French fries...thinner than steak fries but thicker than McDonald's fries.
In a deep container, I poured about a Tablespoonf salt into the cold water.
Preheat the oven to 450.
Spray a cookie sheet with PAM.
Arrange the fries.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. (I started to check on them at 18)

Cook them longer if you want them or cut the potatoes a bit thinner for more of a crispy taste.

So glad that I soaked them longer!!!!

Chilly Day = Warm Comfort Food Dinner

Tonight's dinner is relatively easy...but it might be easy to me because it is definitely a recipe I grew up with and one that I have never had to look at a recipe for.

That being said, tonight, while I was making it, I was trying to pay attention to how much of everything I used. It was REALLY hard....of course, I still didn't measure anything, but I REALLY did TRY to get a good guess-ti-mate....

Quick Side Note: this may or may not be a "true" Swedish Meatball recipe...but it is what came to be my favorite meal as a kid that my mom would make...and we called it "Swedish Meatballs"

Swedish Meatballs over Egg Noodles

Ingredients

*1 pound ground beef (for this recipe I use the 90-10 mix)
*1 small yellow onion
*5 cloves minced garlic
*dry herbs...oregano, parsley (I also used Montreal Steak seasoning) *dry bread crumbs *1 egg, beatened *egg noodles *low sodium cream of mushroom soup *cup of water Possible: flour, milk Step by Step 1. In a mixing bowl, mix beatened egg , garlic, onion and dry herbs together. 2. Pour over ground beef. Mix in by hand. 3. Add in about a half to a full cup of bread crumbs. Mix in by hand. 4. Roll meat into inch width balls. Begin to heat a pan (don't forget to PAM!) 5. Once the pan is warm, place the meatballs in the pan and cover. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn and rotate. Add in a few T. Of water. Once the meatballs are cooked through, remove and set aside. 6. Boil egg noodles for approx. 7 minutes. 7. In same pan used for meatballs, pour cream of mushroom/water mixture into the pan. Heat to a low simmer. If you need to thickened the sauce, add in a bit of flour or milk. 8. Once sauce has thickened, add meatballs back in and cook for a few more minutes. 9. Pour the meatballs and sauce over noodles. Serve with a side of vegetables. Side note: I am not a big fan of adding additional salt and pepper to food,but I always need to with this recipe

Breakfast Burritos...Ryan is going to be jealous!

I wanted to post a breakfast recipe post for awhile...and today is the day. The bummer, Ryan is at work, so he is missing out! But, there is always the weekend...which is the only time we actually "make" breakfast...

To me, this is a "duh!" recipe because it isn't very original. In fact, the reason I began to make this recipe was I loved the breakfast burritos at McDonalds...that was back in the day and I would reward myself with a "hot" breakfast on Fridays when I had an hour commute to work in the morning when I worked in Florida...it was my reason to get out of bed...sad, but true.

Well, one of those Fridays...I didn't feel so good after one, and from that day forward I couldn't bring myself to buy another breakfast burrito from McDonalds...so instead I began to make my own. Not as fast, but MUCH healthier! (BONUS:  I only use 1 pan!)

Breakfast Burrito (for one)

Ingredients

*1 egg and 1 egg white
*1 slice of yellow onion
*a few slices of pepper (red and green), diced
*cilantro
*chili powder
*salt and pepper
*shredded cheese
*1 tortilla

Step by Step

1. Spray PAM and cook peppers and onions over medium heat. (season with salt, pepper and chili powder)
2. Remove and put in separate bowl.
3. Scramble the egg. Then, add the veggies back in (add cilantro!)

4. Remove from heat and place in bowl, top with shredded cheese.
5. PAM the pan and then place the tortilla in the pan. Flip once.

6. Pour egg/veggies back in. Cover to melt the cheese.

7. Remove from heat. Top with salsa. YUM!

Garlic and Guacamole...Life is GOOD!

When my two favorite worlds collide, dinner makes me even more happy to enjoy!

First things first, the key to this recipe is to get really plump raw shrimp...

Garlic Shrimp with Guacamole

Ingredients

*1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined and rinsed and dried!)
*4 large cloves garlic, minced
*1 avacado
*shallot, sliced
*chili powder
*fresh lime juice (or 2 t. of bottle lime juice)
*red pepper flakes
*EVOO
*salt and pepper

Step By Step

1. Cook half of the garlic over low-med heat in EVOO. (do not burn it!)
2. Add the shrimp. Sprinkle with chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp are no longer pink.

3. In separate bowl, mash avacado, shallots and remaining garlic. Add in lime juice. Sprinkle in a bit of red pepper and/or chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. (*if at all possible, make this ahead of time and let it chill in the refrigerator for a bit)

4. Serve on warm tortillas.

Fiesta Crock Pot Chicken

This was a throw together meal...meaning...I didn't have a plan in mind and I didn't know what I had in the kitchen. I attribute this gift of throwing things together from my grandmother...she can throw anything together with the most bizarre ingredients....she's a MaGyver in the kitchen...

Anyway, this recipe is very similar to other recipes I have posted...so truly you can't screw this recipe up!

Fiesta Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients

*fresh or frozen chicken breasts
*LOTS of cilantro
*salsa (at least 16 oz)
*green pepper, sliced (or red pepper or both)
*medium yellow onion, sliced
*jalapeno, sliced
*salt and pepper

Step by Step

1. Spray the crock pot with PAM.
2. Place chicken breasts in the crock pot.
3. Cover with salsa.

4. Top with LOTS of chopped cilantro, pepper, jalapeno and season with salt and pepper.

5. Cook (if frozen) on low for 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high
    If fresh, cut the cooking time in half.

To Serve:

You can eat the chicken as is or you can shred the chicken and use it in fajitas. We shredded it and used it in fajitas with shredded cheese and some sour cream. Delicious!

Korean Inspired Dinner

We are not takeout people. But, that doesn't mean we don't enjoy it. I know I am just turned off by the amount of sodium that comes with the take out. So, I try to stay away from it.
But, sometimes, you just have a certain craving...and with this recipe I can satisify my Asian inspired craving and use fresh ingredients! (and as always, it's pretty easy!)

One thing about the noodles I used...Wegman's is the grocery store of all grocery stores...and the ethnic section of the grocery store is so vast that the Asian aisle is full of options...I chose the lo mein noodles because I like thicker noodles, but I wanted to pass along a skinny noodle is always an option.

Ingredients

*sesame seeds (I found mine at Target)
*low-sodium soy sauce
*1/2 t. sugar or Splenda
*1 T. hot chili paste  (or you can use less..depends how spicy you want)
*sesame oil
*chicken breast, cubed
*vegetable oil (use sparingly)
*small yellow onion, sliced
*red pepper, sliced
*3 cloves minced garlic
*green onion (I used 5 stalks, diced)
*4 handfuls fresh spinach
*noodles (I used Lo Mein)
*salt and pepper

Step by Step

1. Cook chicken breast in some sesame oil. Cook until cubes are no longer pink. Set aside.
2. While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili paste, and 1 T. sesame oil.

3. Cook noodles according to the package directions. Drain. Set aside.
4. In a wok, heat vegetable oil (or stick to sesame oil), add yellow onion and red pepper. After a few minutes, add the garlic, green onion and spinach. Season with some salt and pepper.

5. Once the spinach has wilted, add in the chicken and noodles.

6. Top with the sauce and mix it in. Add more sesame seeds (if desired)

 7. Once it is all mixed together, I kept it over the heat (med-low) for a few extra minutes.

ENJOY!

 

I Love My Grandmother!

First, very sorry it has been so long since I last blogged! So much has been happening! Lately, I have been writing curriculum to use with the books my grandmother publishes.


So, I am going to take a brief moment to shamelessly plug her!

Jason and Nordic Publishers was created by my grandmother when she saw a very large need in the area of books for kids with specials needs and their friends. But, let's back up a little bit more...my older brother, Jason, was born with cerebral palsy (or CP for short) and my grandmother (who was a special education music teacher) noticed a shortage of books for kids with special needs and their friends to relate to. So, she started out by writing short stories. From there, it grew to be what it is today as Turtle Books! Since then, my brother has passed, but her passion for this business still remains strong!
Many of the books were written by my grandmother, those under the pen name, "Nan Holcomb," were written by her. However, all of the books have been published by her company. (by the way, it was YEARS until I finally asked what "Nordic" was...come to find out it was the first three letters of her name and my grandfather's name...sneaky, sneaky....either that, or I'm just really dense...either way)

Anyway, I have been working with her over the past year to write the curriculum that coincides with some of the books, for the next edition of the Sensitivity and Awareness Guide. It has been QUITE the undertaking, but I have truly enjoyed working on this with her! I am far from done, but I can see a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel...so, that being said....

Please take a moment and check out her website! http://jasonandnordic.com/

More Importantly!

If you like what you see...buy some books! Pass along the information! Spread the word!!!

By the way...for the newest edition of the S&A Guide...my name will be on the cover :) I'm pretty excited about it...it's the small stuff!

A picture of my "Nan" and me last summer!

 

Small Disclaimer to Nan...I borrowed the images from your website, I hope you don't mind! 

Superfast (and Healthy) Shrimp Stir-fry

This is a go-to meal for us when we want something quick, easy, and healthy! (Another plus, it doesn't use a lot of dishes. Especially since I don't measure anything with this recipe...just an eyeball)

Superfast Shrimp Stir-fry 

Ingredients

*1 1/2 c. thawed shrimp
*1 c. brown rice (I prefer Uncle Ben's 10 minute Brown Rice)
*small onion, diced
*red pepper, diced
*1-2 t. sesame oil
*LOW SODIUM soy sauce
*green scallions
*1 egg
*Frank's Red Hot (optional)

Step by Step

1. Cook the rice according to the directions on the box.
2. Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a wok. Add onion and shrimp.

3. Then, I add the red pepper (I like to add the pepper later so it doesn't get as soft)
4. Mix the hot sauce and soy sauce in. (I just add a few splashes...little bit of soy sauce goes a long way)
5. Add in the rice and the scallions.
6. Make a hole in the food and break the egg into the hole. And, quickly begin to mix the egg in with the rest of the mixture until well blended.

Enjoy and maybe challenge yourself to eat it with chopsticks!

Also, don't forget you could always substitute the shrimp for chicken or steak.

Also, you could add sugar snap peas!