1.
In a large stock pot, simmer the first 6 ingredients for about 1 hour,
covered. Stir occasionally during cooking if needed. Vegetables should
be tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or so. Adjust salt to taste (important!).
3. Serve soup chunky if desired. For a smooth tomato soup, transfer
hot soup to blender and blend until soup is smooth. Pour into bowls and
serve.
Store leftovers in the fridge.
Fresh Tomato Soup
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Cilantro Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Spicy grilled chicken breast served with a fresh salsa made with tomato, avocado, and green onions
Yield:
4 servings
Ingredients:
Chicken ingredients:
4 large (6-8 ounces each) boneless skinless chicken breasts salt black pepper 1/4 cup fresh finely chopped cilantro oil, preferably in a spray bottle Tapatio hot sauce
Avocado salsa ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh tomato 4-5 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (or more, to taste) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice 1/4 teaspoon salt dash black pepper 1 large avocado, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup) Instructions:
1.
Lay chicken breasts in a 9×13-inch dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper,
and cilantro; spray with oil and splash with Tapatio. Turn chicken over
and repeat on other side. Set aside.
2. Combine salsa ingredients (except avocado) in a medium bowl and
stir to mix. Add avocado and stir gently to combine. Set aside.
3. Preheat grill.* Grill chicken until done (our Weber Q grill takes 10-12 minutes on medium, grilling with lid closed). Serve hot chicken with fresh salsa.
Cilantro Chicken with Avocado Salsa
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Creamy Guacamole
A light creamy guacamole that even picky eaters will love!
Yield:
4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 large ripe avocados* 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro 1/4 cup minced red onion 1/2 teaspoon salt Several shakes of Tapatio or your favorite hot sauce 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions:
1. Slice open avocados, remove pits, and scoop out the meat with a large spoon.
2. In a small-medium mixing bowl, mash avocados with lime/lemon juice. Then, stir in remaining ingredients.
Creamy Guacamole
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Double Decker Tacos (Taco Bell copycat recipe)
Delicious and easy homemade version of Taco Bell’s Double Decker Tacos
Yield:
8 servings
Ingredients:
8 hard taco shells 8 corn tortillas (or soft-taco-sized flour tortillas) 2 cups refried beans*, warmed 1 pound ground beef 1 onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon chili powder dash black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin (I love freshly-ground cumin!) 1 teaspoon brown sugar Tapatio or other hot sauce, to taste 4 cups shredded lettuce 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup diced tomatoes Instructions:
1.
Fry ground beef with onion and garlic. Drain well and return to pan.
Toss meat with the tablespoon of flour. Stir in water, chili powder,
pepper, salt, cumin, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil,
stirring constantly, and breaking any large chunks of beef into smaller
bits.
2. Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray or
drizzle with a little oil and then cook corn tortillas until lightly
browned on both sides (1-2 minutes per side).
3. Evenly spread about 1/4 cup of the warmed refried beans over a
cooked corn tortilla. Place a hard taco shell inside and wrap with the
tortilla, so that the beans are a layer between the hard shell and soft
tortilla.
4. Fill taco with about 1/4 cup meat mixture, 1/2 cup lettuce, 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and 2 tablespoons diced tomato. Serve and enjoy!
Double Decker Tacos (Taco Bell copycat recipe)
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
Soft and delicious homemade whole wheat flour tortillas, perfect for fajitas or soft tacos!
Yield:
about 1 dozen (8-inch) tortillas
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour* 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons shortening** 1+ cup hot water (enough to make a workable dough, as hot as you can stand to touch)
Instructions:
1.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and
salt. Add the shortening and mix with a fork or pastry blender until
incorporated into small crumbs.
2. Add hot water, stirring to make a thick dough. Knead with hands until a smooth, not-too-sticky dough forms.
3. Separate dough into balls about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Allow
balls of dough to rest on the counter, covered with a clean towel, for a
few minutes.
4. Using heavy skillets (like cast iron) or a griddle, have two
burners heating — one at a medium-low temperature and one at a
medium-high temperature. Roll each ball into an 8-inch circle. (Use a
little flour during rolling if necessary.)
5. To cook tortillas, first use the lower temperature burner to heat
the tortilla on both sides, until tortilla is cooked but not browned.
Then, move the tortilla to the hotter burner and cook for a couple more
minutes, until both sides are browned and tortilla is hot.***
6. Stack tortillas under clean towels to keep them warm as you finish cooking the rest of the tortillas.
Tortillas will be somewhat thick, and great for fajitas, soft tacos,
or served for breakfast filled with eggs and toppings (cilantro,
jalapenos, tomatoes, green onions, leftover fajita meat, etc.).
Leftover tortillas should be stored in an air-tight bag or container, and can be re-warmed in the microwave or oven (wrapped in foil).
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Grilled Pizza
Delicious grilled thin-crust pizza: homemade crust and your favorite toppings!
Yield:
Four 10-inch pizzas, about 8 generous servings
Ingredients:
Crust Ingredients:
1 cup warm water 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons oil 3 cups flour* 1 tablespoon dry yeast
Oil and salt, for brushing crusts
Toppings of your choice:
–about 1/4 cup pizza sauce for each pizza –about 6 ounces (1.5 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese for each pizza Pepperoni, chopped onions, diced peppers, crushed red pepper, sliced olives, etc.
Instructions:
1.
Prepare dough by mixing the warm water, salt, oil, and yeast in a
medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in flour. Knead with clean hands, adding
more water if necessary to form a smooth, elastic dough. Dough shouldn’t
bee too sticky, since it will need to hold together when rolled out
into a crust.
You can also make the dough in a bread machine. Add crust ingredients
in order listed and start machine on the dough setting. Add additional
water if needed as the machine operates, scraping sides of the pan if
needed, until a smooth dough has formed.
Allow dough to rest for 5-10 minutes, covered.
2. Separate dough into four parts. On a lightly-floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 10-inch circle.
3. Pre-heat grill to medium-high. Brush one side of the rolled dough
with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place crust, oiled-side-down,
on the pre-heated grill.** Grill with lid open until bottom is browned,
about 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove crust from grill and place on a metal baking sheet (or
other heat-safe surface). Brush the top (the side that hadn’t been
grilled yet) with oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip crust over.
5. With the grilled side facing up, place toppings on grilled side,
being careful to not overload with toppings since the crust is fairly
thin.
5. When toppings have been added, return pizza to the grill, with the
second oiled side down and the toppings facing up (of course! haha).
Grill with the lid closed for 5-6 minutes on high, until crust is
browned and cheese is melted.
Remove from grill, cut, and serve hot! Yum! 🙂
Grilled Pizza
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Italian Baked Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash stuffed with a cheesy Italian tomato filling!
Yield:
4 servings
Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds) 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese 1 cup diced green bell pepper* 2 cups tomato sauce** 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt dash of pepper 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, for topping 1 cup (4 ounces) mozzarella cheese, for topping
Instructions:
1.
Cut squash into halves lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place cut side down
in 2 inches of simmering water in a heavy stock pot or saute pan. Cover
and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cheddar and mozzarella
cheeses, peppers, tomato sauce, and spices (except Parmesan and
additional mozzarella). Stir to mix.
3. Holding hot squash with a potholder or oven mitts, run the tines
of a fork across the pulp to release the “spaghetti”. Place “spaghetti”
in the large mixing bowl of cheese, sauce, and spices. Stir to coat.
4. Spoon squash back into the two squash shells and place in a baking
dish. Sprinkle with additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake at
350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot in the middle.
If squash shells are tender, they are edible along with the filling. We don’t usually eat all of the shell, though, since the filling is the best part! 😉
Italian Baked Spaghetti Squash
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
A homemade baked macaroni and cheese with a flavorful and creamy sauce
Yield:
8 servings
Ingredients:
16 ounces elbow macaroni or small shell pasta 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed* 20 cranks of black pepper (or 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground) 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups milk 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 12 ounces (3 cups) shredded cheddar cheese 8 ounces (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese Additional cheddar, parmesan, or bread crumbs** for topping
Instructions:
1.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cool
water. Place pasta in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan, combine cayenne, garlic, crushed mustard,
black pepper, and butter over medium heat. When butter starts to sizzle,
add the flour and stir until mixed and bubbly.
3. Add 2 cups of the milk and whisk with the butter mixture over
medium heat until thick and bubbly. Whisk constantly to avoid lumps or
scorching.
4. Turn off heat and whisk in remaining 1 cup of milk and the cup of cream, along with the parsley and salt.
5. Crack eggs into a separate mixing bowl and whisk briskly, until
they are no longer very “stringy”. Whisking constantly, pour a half cup
of the hot creamy sauce in with the eggs. Continue whisking and adding
sauce to the eggs, until you’ve added about 2 cups of the sauce in with
the eggs. Then pour the eggs into the saucepan with the rest of the
sauce, whisking to incorporate.
6. Pour the sauce over the pasta in the large mixing bowl. Stir to
combine. Stir in shredded cheeses. Spread into a lightly greased baking
dish.
This recipe makes a very full 9×13-inch dish, so you can also divide
it between a couple dishes for a thinner layer (I like to do a 9×13 dish
and an 8×8 dish).
7. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, or
bread crumbs. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, until
hot and bubbly.
This casserole can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a couple days before baking. If it’s been in the fridge a couple days, however, you may need to drizzle about 1/2 cup of additional milk over top before baking, as the pasta tends to absorb more liquid as it sits.
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Three-Cheese Stuffed Peppers
Colorful sweet bell peppers stuffed with red sauce, cheeses, and spinach
Yield:
4 large servings
Ingredients:
4 medium-large red, green, yellow, or orange bell peppers, stems and seeds removed 1 cup diced onion 1/2 tablespoon butter or oil 10 ounces fresh spinach leaves* 1 1/2 cups small curd lowfat cottage cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese 2 large eggs 1/2 cup bread crumbs** 1 clove minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons dried parsley 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce shredded cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions:
1.
Saute onion in the butter or oil until onion is translucent. Add
spinach and cook and stir until spinach is wilted. Pour into a strainer
and squeeze the excess water out.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sauteed onion, spinach,
cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, bread crumbs,
garlic, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley. Mix well.
3. Grease the inside of a deep baking dish (that will hold your 4
peppers). Spoon 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce into the bottom of the dish.
4. Spoon 2 tablespoons of pasta sauce into the bottom of each pepper.
Fill peppers with the spinach-cheese filling mixture, heaping it up if
necessary. Place filled peppers into the prepared dish.
5. Spoon an additional 2 tablespoons of sauce over each pepper. Cover
dish with a lid (if your dish has one) or, butter the underside of a
sheet of foil and tent to cover peppers.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, covered. Uncover and reduce heat
to 300 degrees. Bake 30-45 minutes longer, until peppers are tender and
filling is slightly browned on top.
7. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve with a sprinkling of shredded cheese on top if desired.
Three-Cheese Stuffed Peppers
This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.
Freezer-Friendly Bean and Rice Burritos
Easy individually-wrapped bean and rice burritos for the freezer! These burritos are simple and delicious!
Yield:
8 burritos
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked pinto beans (or beans of your choice) 4 cups cooked rice (1 1/3 cups dry rice, cooked) 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese Salt, to taste Hot sauce, optional (we like Tapatio or Cholula) 8 burrito-size flour tortillas Sour cream or hot sauce, for serving Instructions:
1.
In a large bowl, toss together the beans, rice, cheese, and some
splashes of hot sauce (if using). Add a little salt if you haven’t
already salted your beans or rice.
2. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the beans and rice mixture on each
tortilla. Fold into burritos (see below). Wrap individually in pieces of
foil.
3. Place foil-wrapped burritos in a gallon-size freezer Ziplock bag,
removing excess air if possible. Label with name and date. Freeze for up
to 6 months (if tightly wrapped).
Reheating instructions:
From frozen: Place frozen burritos a few inches apart directly on
oven rack. Turn oven on to 375 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes, until
hot inside. Serve with sour cream or hot sauce!
From thawed (or freshly made): Place burritos a few inches apart directly on oven rack. Turn oven on to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes, until hot inside. Serve with sour cream or hot sauce!
