Baked Potato slow-cooker soup

I went to  Mama loves food to find this wonderful baked potato soup that
is made in the crock-pot the recipe she has there is quite a large one so
I suggest you down size it for your family. Its one of those fix it and
pretty much forget it kinda dinners.  It was easy and everyone
liked it!

Some new RECIPES thank-you Carly

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Jess and Mia thought they were yummy:)

1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tb fresh lime juice (1/2 lime)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3 Tb chopped cilantro
2 Tb sliced green onions
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
fajita size flour tortillas (or small corn tortillas)
cooking spray
kosher salt

Soften cream cheese in microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir in green salsa,

lime juice and spices until well mixed then add cilantro and green onions.

Stir in shredded chicken and pepperjack cheese and combine well.

**this can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line cookie sheet with Silpat

(or tin foil, lightly sprayed with cooking oil).

Working with 3-4 tortillas at a time, briefly heat in microwave so they are more malleable and easier to work with. Spoon 2-3 Tb of mixture in a row across the bottom third of tortilla, keeping 1/2 inch away from edge. This makes it possible to roll it up very tightly. Place taquitos seam side down on cookie sheet, making sure they are not touching. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and edges start to turn golden brown.

Beef and Broccoli

Cut steak against the grain very thin

Put into a bowl and cover with garlic powder and fill the bowl half way up with soy sauce

Let sit for an hour

Heat oil until very hot

Right before cooking add about a 3 tbs of corn starch or a little more (just until the beef is coated and the juice is mostly sucked up)

Place beef into hot pan turn down heat slightly and let sit

Meanwhile chop broccoli and throw it into a pot of boiling water and cover

Cook only until the broccoli is bright green then drain (this will only take a couple of min)

When beef is almost cooked all the way through with a spatula carefully flip the beef and let it continue cooking on the other side

When it is done remove it and put it on a plate

Throw the broccoli in the pan the beef was in a stir it to coat the broccoli with the beef drippings, this will help the broccoli soften a little more

Add the beef back in and stir carefully

Serve over hot lemon rice

Lemon rice

4 Tbs butter

2 cups basmati rice

2 lemons, with the zest grated

3 cups chicken broth

1 tsp salt

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

ground pepper to taste

melt butter in sauce pan, add the lemon zest and rice. Stir until rice is opaque about 5 min. add broth cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 20 min. when rice is done squeeze juice from lemons over rice and add salt and pepper.

We had this when Scott came to sunday dinner this was his second helping

so I guess it was good. We told him to stop and take a picture before it was gone.

Split Pea Soup- it wasn't yellow it was green split pea and was

very good Mia was turning up her nose then ended up going back 2 times.

I told her looks can be deceiving.

Chop bacon and or ham and cook in pot with a little olive oil

Add 3 cloves garlic chopped

Add 1 medium yellow/white onion chopped and a stalk or two of celery

Cook until fragrent

Add 1 quart chick broth or more…I usually just fill the pot half full and add more if I need to.

Stir in 1 bag of dried split peas

2 carrots shredded or chopped

cook med heat until peas are soft

put ½ of the mixture in the blender and blend until smooth

or use a hand blender right in the pot. add back to pot

cook five more min and serve you can add a dollop of sour cream

Homemade spinach pasta

Homemade pasta isn't as daunting as it sounds! If you've got a few extra minutes this is a good way to throw in some more veggies to your dinner.

Spinach Pasta:
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
1/4 c water
1/4 c cooked spinach, well drained and finely chopped


1. In a large bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl combine eggs, water, spinach and oil. Add to flour mixture, and mix well.
2. Sprinkle counter with remaining 3/4 c flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. (8-10 min)
Cover and let rest for 10 min.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion out until about 1/16 in thick. (go thinner than you think, they plump up in the water.)
4. Cut with a pizza cutter to desired length and size.
5. Cook in boiling water for about 2-3 min.

We added ours to chicken noodle soup, which made it very tasty!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup:
2 chicken breasts cooked, chopped or shredded (reserve water for the soup)
2-3 carrots, celery stalks, and red potatoes chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 carton or 2-3 cans of chicken broth

Add noodles when vegetables are done!

Delicious Soup!

Italian White Bean, Spinach and Turkey soup

Ingredients
2 TBS olive oil
1 LB ground turkey
4-5 garlic cloves minced
1 med. yellow onion chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 tsp. fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1-2 tsp. fresh ginger grated
2 cans cannellini or great northern white beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock
10-12 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1) In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil. Saute` onion, garlic and ginger. Add ground turkey season with salt and pepper, break into small pieces and brown.

2) add beans, thyme, rosemary and stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 mins. Mix in chopped spinach and simmer 5 more mins. Adjust seasonings to taste, I added more ginger. Serve with crusty bread.

Makes 4-6 servings

TORTILLA SOUP

4-Tbls. Oil
1-medium onion chopped
4-large cloves garlic roughly chopped
2-jalepenos, seeded sliced or diced
1 Tbls. dried oregano
1-tsp. Cumin
1-28 oz. Can chopped tomatoes
3-cups shredded chicken (we used a rotisserie chicken)
few dashes Worcestershire sauce
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn
1-lime
Top with:
1/2-cup cooked rice for each serving
sour cream, avocado and cilantro for garnish

Heat oil over medium heat add chopped onion, sauté for 1-2 min. Add garlic and jalapeno sweat until soft and translucent. Add spices and cook 1-2 min until fragrant. Add tomatoes, chicken, worcestershire sauce and stock, add beans and corn, bring to simmer and cook 20 min. Cut lime in 1/2 squeeze lime juice and add lime halves. (remove limes if you have leftovers)

Put 1/2 cup of rice in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup on top and garnish.

If you've ever had Cafe Rio's Tortilla Soup this is very similar and is made often in our house. The heat can be adjusted by the peppers.

Cream of Tomato Basil Soup

2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes (reserve juice)
2 Tbls. Brown sugar
4 Tbls. Butter
2 Tbls. Tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 Tbls. Flour
2 cans chicken stock
2 Red Bell peppers (roasted)- fresh or in a jar
1 cup pesto
1 ½ cups half and half

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Squeeze out seeds and arrange tomatoes on baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until liquid is evaporated and tomatoes caramelize (about 30 min). Heat butter, onion, and tomato paste. Saute until onions soften. Add flour and cook for 1 min. Gradually add chicken stock and reserved tomato liquid. Bring to a boil. Puree tomatoes and peppers in blender until smooth. (Add a little of the liquid from the pot to help the blending process) Return to stove top and simmer for 15 min. Five min. before serving add pesto and half and half.

Very delicious when served with grilled cheese, bacon and granny smith apple sandwiches on sourdough bread!

Tortellini and Zucchini Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large carrots, finely chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, diced
9 ounces (about 2 cups) fresh or frozen tortellini, preferably spinach-&-cheese
4 plum tomatoes, diced or can of chopped or stewed tomatoes
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots and onion; stir, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in broth and zucchini; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add tortellini and tomatoes and simmer until the tortellini are plump and the tomatoes are beginning to break down, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir vinegar into the hot soup just before serving.

This is a very yummy soup but we added garbanzo beans which was very good!