Hamburger Minestrone

Hamburger Minstrone (from Taste of Home Soups)

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

6 cups water

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 c. sliced zucchini

1 can (16oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

1 c. shredded cabbage

1 celery rib with leaves, chopped

2 tsp beef boullon granules

2 tsp italian seasonings

2/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, zucchini, beans, corn, cabbage, celery, bouillon, Italian seasonings, and salt. Add macaroni. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until macaroni is done.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies (from here)

Notes: I saw this in a blog I follow (link above). It sounds soooooooo good! I want to try them sometime.

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and well-combined.

3. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix until the ingredients are well-combined. Add the flour and mix on low until the flour is incorporated. Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

4. Place the Oreo cookie crumbs in a small bowl. Scoop the cookies into about 1½ to 2″ balls and then roll in the cookie crumbs. Place the cookie balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.

5. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Slow Cooker Ribs

Slow Cooker Ribs (from here)

Note: I bought some boneless pork ribs on a whim since they were in the "must sell today" meat section. Turns out, that was a good choice! I threw them in the crock pot on Sunday with a modified version of this recipe. They were delicious! I also added some Sweet Baby Rays to the mix because it didn't look like quite enough liquid. I also added Worcestershire sauce because I thought it would be good too. I think next time, I would add a little more soy sauce.

1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (not in original recipe)
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 dash ground black pepper
bbq sauce as desired

I put the ribs in the crock pot and then poured the seasonings on top of the ribs. I cooked it on high for about 5 hours and they were SO GOOD and so tender. I will definitely keep buying these when I see them on sale. We served it over rice which was also delicious.

Calzones

Calzones (from here)

Notes: This was so good! I halved the dough recipe which made 2 good sized calzones for us. I also added some Italian seasoning to the dough and some garlic powder. I chopped up pepperoni. For the pizza sauce, I used 8 oz of tomato sauce and pizza seasonings from my spice rack.

• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon dry milk powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup pizza sauce
• 4 ounces pepperoni sausage, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Place water, salt, bread flour, dry milk, sugar, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle.
2. After cycle ends, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface; shape into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. In a small bowl, mix together chopped pepperoni and mozzarella. Spoon pizza sauce in a stripe down the center of dough lengthwise; add sausage and cheese filling. Make diagonal cuts 1 1/2 inches apart down each side, cutting within a 1/2 inch of the filling. Criss cross strips over filling, sealing with water. Brush top with melted butter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes.

Substituion List

This is a nice substitution list from All Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/common-ingredient-substitutions/Detail.aspx

Spaghetti With Garlic, Chilies, Lemon And Crispy Bread Crumbs

Spaghetti With Garlic, Chilies, Lemon And Crispy Bread Crumbs (from here)


Notes: I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds good! I think I would add some chicken to it for some protein.

For The Bread Crumbs:

1 Cup Coarse Homemade Bread Crumbs

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

1 Pound Spaghetti

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5 Large Cloves Of Garlic, Minced

Juice Of 1 Lemon

2 to 3 Dry Hot Red Chili Peppers, Crushed

1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley

In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil and add the bread crumbs, lemon zest, salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the crumbs are crisp and light brown. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water. While it is cooking, heat the oil in a small, heavy saucepan. Add the garlic and chili peppers and cook until sizzling but not browned. Remove from the heat. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, remove a small cup of pasta water, and drain the pasta. Return to the pot, and add the garlic oil, and lemon juice. Mix well over medium heat until hot, adding a little pasta water if the mixture seems dry. Add the parsley, mix well and serve with the crispy bread crumbs on top.

Bean and Burger Pockets

Bean 'n' Burger Pockets

This is SO GOOOOOOOOOD! And, it makes a lot, so there is a lot of left overs. We ate it over Naan instead of Pita's, but I'm sure it would even be good by itself without bread.

1 1/4 lb. ground beef
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. each dried thyme, savory, majoram, oregano, and parsley flakes
1 can (8 3/4 oz) navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 3/4 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 3/4 oz) lima beans, rinsed and drained
5 pita breads, halved
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a heavy sauce pan or dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

Add tomatos, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, brown sugar, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally (we added beans at this time too and it was fine).

Stir in beans; heat through. Spoon about 1/2 cup. into each pita half. Top with cheese if desired.