red pepper asparagus soup

 

My daughter chose this recipe and we made it together. My husband declared it Hall of Fame!  It's a very mild but delicious soup and even more delicious served with a really crusty bread.

red pepper asparagus soup (slightly adapted from cookbook:  Land O Lakes Recipe Collection)

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds (about 5 cups) asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 medium (1 cup) red potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 leek (3/4 cup), rinsed, thinly sliced (or substitute with 3/4 cup thinly sliced onion)

1 medium (1 cup) red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic

2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or soy sauce

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves)

2 cups traditional or fat free half and half

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

fresh basil or dried basil for sprinkling

Melt butter in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until sizzling; add asparagus, potatoes, leek, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crispy tender (10-12 minutes).

Stir in broth, balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon basil.  Continue cooking until asparagus is tender (10-12 minutes).  Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.

Stir in half and half, salt and pepper.

Place 2 cups soup in a 5-cup blender container.  Cover; blend until very smooth.  Repeat with remaining soup, 2 cups at a time.  Place soup in a 4-quart saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until soup is heated through (8-10 minutes).

quick and easy pork tacos

 

I wish I'd found this recipe sooner.  This pork turns out so flavorful and tender!  Delicious!

All I did was top my taco with my daughter's fresh tomatillo salsa to give both new recipes a try.  

quick and easy pork tacos (slenderkitchen)

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into small pieces 

4 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

oil for the pan

corn tortillas

toppings: cilantro, tomatillo salsa, diced onions etc. 

Add the pork to a bowl with the lime juice, honey and taco seasoning.  Let marinate 15-30 minutes.   Do not marinate longer or the pork will break down in the lime juice.

Remove the pork from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels.  This will help get it crispy.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Add the pork in a single layer and let it sear and brown for 2-3 minutes.  Stir and repeat until the pork is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes total.  Pork tenderloin cooks really quickly and gets dry if cooked too long.

Assemble the tacos with warmed corn tortillas, cilantro and your favorite toppings.

heath toffee brownies

 

These are awesome!  I made them last week when I needed to take dessert to a family dinner and a second time yesterday.  They go fast!

heath toffee brownies

1 box family size brownie mix

handful of mini chocolate chips (if you have them)

1 bag Heath toffee bits

Prepare an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.  Mix brownie mix according to package directions.  Throw in a handful of mini chocolate chips if you have them.  Pour into the pan and bake according to package directions.

When you take them out of the oven, pour the package of Heath toffee bits over the brownies and spread them evenly over the brownies.  Press the toffee bits down a bit.  Wait for the brownies to cool for an hour or two.  Cut into 16 pieces and enjoy!

easy broccoli cheese soup

 

My kids are each taking a turn to make dinner this week.  My oldest child living at home made this easy broccoli cheese soup and I think it's our new favorite version.

easy broccoli cheese soup (adapted from cafe delites)

1/3 cup butter

1 yellow onion (she used 3 tablespoons dehydrated onion instead)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced

1/3 cup flour

2 cups vegetable stock

3 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound broccoli florets, cut into small pieces (we used two 12-ounce bags frozen broccoli florets)

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Fry the onion until fragrant.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes or until golden brown.

Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the vegetable stock and milk, stirring well to combine and dissolve the flour into the liquid.  Season with salt and pepper, mustard powder and garlic powder.  Stir and allow to thicken for about 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli and gently simmer for 20 minutes.  Mix in cheese and stir until just combined. 

Enjoy!

grilled chicken for street tacos or salad

 

We had an assortment of street tacos for dinner but I chose to make a salad. This chicken is great and I made enough for leftovers which means lots of yummy salads in the coming days.

grilled chicken for street tacos or salad (tastes better from scratch)

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

marinade:

4 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

Make chicken marinade by combining all marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Add chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to over night.

Preheat grill.  Remove chicken from marinade and place on hot grill. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once.  Transfer chicken to a plate and allow to rest before chopping into small pieces.

camie's favorite turkey meatballs

 

These are my favorite turkey meatballs and I keep forgetting to put them on this blog so I have to keep trying to find the little index card where I wrote this recipe down.  FINALLY it will be where it needs to be. :)

camie's favorite turkey meatballs

1 egg

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon basil (I used fresh this time)

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine egg and all ingredients except the ground turkey.  Combine very well then add the ground turkey. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Use a cookie scoop to form meatballs and place each one in the skillet.  Once all the meatballs have had a chance to brown on one side, turn them over and let them brown on the other side.  Let them continue to cook until they are cooked through.

I like to eat them with tzatziki sauce!

bengal barbecue veggies skewers

 

Our last trip to Disneyland my daughter ordered veggie skewers in Adventureland at Bengal Barbecue.  They have the best skewers!  I wanted to find a copycat recipe so we tried these.  We couldn't remember if they tasted the same or not (she thought they tasted just like them) but this is a terrific recipe!

bengal barbecue veggie skewers (adapted from alldaymom)

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

1 yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

carton button mushrooms

1 red onion, cut into chunks

1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons oil

spice mixture:

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

Wash and cut veggies.  In a zip-lock bag, mix 2 tablespoons oil with the spice mixture.  Add the vegetables and coat vegetables with the spice mixture.  Assemble the vegetables on the skewers.  Grill until cooked to perfection (I did not cook directly over the flame but on a rack a few inches above).