Red Bean and Rice Soup

Red Bean and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced bacon
2 large onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 bay leaves
5 or 6 andouille sausages, sliced
1 smoked ham hock

3 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 quarts chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

3 to 6 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Green onions, chopped

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over high heat.

Add the diced bacon and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, bay leaves, sliced andouille sausage, and ham hock and cook, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the beans and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the Cajun seasoning,  Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the salt, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Remove ham hock bones.

To serve, ladle a generous helping of soup into each bowl.  Top each serving with 1/2 to 1 cup of rice and sprinkle with sliced green onions.

6 servings

Have you tried the traditional red beans and rice?  If not, here's the recipe!
http://crowdedkitchen509.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-orleans-red-beans-and-rice.html

Red Beans and Rice

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry bliss bars are delicious!  Serve these rich delightful treats with a good cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (5 ounce) bag sweetened dried cranberries
1 (12 ounce) bag white chocolate chips, divided

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Melt the butter in the microwave.

In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, brown and white sugars and beat with an electric mixer.

Incorporate the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Add the salt, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and mix until just combined.  DO NOT OVER MIX OR THE BARS WILL BE TOUGH.

Fold in 3/4 cup cranberries and 3/4 cup white chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 25 - 27 minutes and place on a cooling rake

Using a saucepan or double boiler melt the remaining white chocolate; set aside

Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and the orange juice in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined.

Incorporate the melted white chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and beat until combined.

Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with remaining cranberries.

Cover and refrigerate for 6 - 8 hours.  DO NOT REMOVE FROM BAKING DISH OR SLICE BARS UNTIL REFRIGERATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

Slice bars and serve.

Slicing Instructions

8 servings

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
Recipe by CHOW @ http://www.chow.com/recipes/28985-lemon-ricotta-pancakes

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating the frying pan and serving
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking power
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 to 3 medium lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

Powdered sugar, fruit, maple syrup or apple-cranberry pancake topping (see recipe below) for serving

Directions:

Place butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium-heat, stirring occasionally until butter has melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; set aside.

Place egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in a quarter of the milk-butter mixture (this will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling), then whisk in the remaining milk-butter mixture until smooth.

Add the reserved flout mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not over mix); set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks (they should bend like soft-serve ice cream; make sure the bowl and whisk are perfectly clean with no traces of grease, or the whites will not whip properly). Halfway through whisking them, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Using the rubber spatula, fold the whites into the reserved batter until just combined.

Gently fold the ricotta into the batter, being careful not to break down the texture of the cheese (the batter will be lumpy and streaked with ricotta); set aside.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan, griddle, or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes.  Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it:  If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use.

Lightly coat the pan's surface with butter, then use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop the batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter.  Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fruit, butter, maple syrup or apple-cranberry pancake topping (see recipe below).

Apple-Cranberry Pancake Topping

Ingredients:

3 Golden  Delicious apples, peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch salt
Pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in bowl and microwave, covered, until apples are softened but not mushy and juices are slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving.  Stir before serving.

Stuffed Green Pepper Slow-Cooker Soup

Stuffed Green Pepper Slow-Cooker Soup

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
4 to 5 green bell peppers, diced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (32 oz) box beef broth
1 cup water
2 medium onions, diced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups cooked white rice
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Brown the ground beef.  Drain the grease and place in slow-cooker.

Add all the ingredients except the cooked rice.  Mix well and cover.

Cook on low setting  for 6 to 8 hours.

After 6 to 8 hours, add the cooked rice and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Garnish with shredded mozzarella cheese.

6 to 8 servings

Spicy Slow-Cooker Chili

Spicy Slow-Cooker Chili

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup chopped celery
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons chipotle powder

Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Sliced green onions


Directions:

In a large skillet, saute the chopped onions, minced garlic and chopped celery.  Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.

While the ground beef is browning, add the remaining ingredients into the slow-cooker.

Add the ground beef, sauteed onions, celery and garlic to slow-cooker and stir well.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

If needed, add additional liquid.

Serve chili with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, chopped cilantro and sliced green onions.

6  to 8 servings.

Look for a dried Chile chipotle, if you have problems finding chipotle powder.  Chop the Chile.

Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup
Recipe by www.CuisineAtHome.com

This soup calls for mafalda pasta, which is a mini lasagna noodle.  If you cannot find the pasta, don't worry because you can use regular lasagna noodles broken into small pieces.  The original recipe calls for diced provolone or mozzarella cheese.  If you question the diced cheese, you can buy grated mozzarella cheese because that works perfectly too.  This soup is very popular and we would love to hear how you have tweaked the recipe.  Serve this Italian meal with a green salad and bread.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground Italian sausage
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup carrot, diced
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth
1 can chopped Italian-style stewed tomatoes (14 1/2 oz )
1 cup mafalda pasta
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 cup provolone or fresh mozzarella, diced
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
4 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

Brown sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add onions and carrots; saute 3 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms and garlic, and saute another 3 minutes.

Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Stir in the pasta and simmer until cooked, about 10 minutes (or according to package directions).

Add the spinach and cook about 1 minute, or until wilted.

Place cubed cheese in each serving bowl, then ladle soup over to melt.  Garish with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Total time: 45 minutes
Makes 8 cups

Iced Coffee

Iced Coffee

This recipe is easy, and inexpensive if you shop the discount stores.  My local discount grocery store sells a 1 pound package, ground coffee for $5.99.  So, I can make 24 servings of iced coffee for $5.99, excluding the cost of Half & Half and Stevia sweetener.

If you are afraid of calories, you can use Skim milk, 2% or whole milk.  I use Stevia sweetener, because it is a natural sweetener, and not artificial.   Zero calories.  I buy the Stevia sweetener at discount stores too.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground coffee
8 quarts water

Ice
Half & Half
Stevia sweetener (natural zero calorie sweetener)

Directions for coffee concentrate:

Pour the ground coffee into a large (8 quart) stock pot or large clean container.

Pour in 8 quarts water.

Mix well and cover stock pot for 8 to 10 hours at room temperature.

Once the coffee has steeped for the amounted time, stir the coffee mixture one last time. The coffee grounds will sink to the bottom of the stock pot.  Use a French press and strain the steeped coffee.

Pour the pressed coffee into a air-tight container and refrigerate. The coffee concentrate will last three weeks in the refrigerator.

Directions for iced coffee:

Fill a glass half full, or a little more with coffee concentrate.

Sweeten concentrate with 1 packet of Stevia sweetener.  Stir well.

Add ice.

Last step, pour in the Half & Half.

24 servings