Soup's On!

Summer has faded away, leaving us with that crisp, brisk feeling of Fall in the air. I love Fall. It means perfect temperature, sunny days with a slight chill, Halloween, pumpkins, that smell of golden leaves, and hearty, warm, soul soothing dishes.

It's also a time where cash runs a little low with two children in school. All the back to school supplies, lunch money, field trip money, Book Orders, Art Classes and Supplies, Cheerleading Fees, and so forth seem to hit us all at once and we never seem to be ready for it after a Summer of no fees and payments. So, we have to scrimp and save and manage the first couple of weeks until we adjust. And in the meantime, like Old Mother Hubbard, my cupboards start to become bare. And this is when I have to start to become creative with our meals. After all, there is only so many times I can serve up cans of Chef Boyardee and call it a meal.

I rummaged around and found a can of whole kernel corn, a can of creamed corn, a can of chicken broth, three potatoes, a bag of onions, and a half of container of heavy cream. I Googled around and pretty much discovered I could concoct a Corn Chowder like meal out of those ingredients. I also discovered I had never had Corn Chowder and it sounded pretty good to me. I'm some one who absolutely LOVES Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup, and I love corn so this idea was very appealing to me.

Most of the recipes I read included Bacon. But since Ham Steaks were on sale and we are pinching pennies this week, I decided to use Ham Steaks instead. I do not regret this decision. It made the soup (chowder?) much more hearty. I think the thinness of the bacon would have made it feel more like a starter dish than the star dish.

Here's how it went. You need the following:
Ham Steaks (I had two small ones)
A can of Whole Corn Kernels, drained
A can of Creamed Corn
1 onion, diced
3 potatoes, diced
1 can of Chicken Broth
Butter
About a cup of Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper

I cut the Ham Steaks into bite sized cubes and throw them in my pre-heated pot.

While they cooked, I diced the onion and the potatoes before adding them to the pot with a big spoonful of butter.

I mixed it all up and let the butter melt and coat the potatoes so they don't stick to the pan. After it cooked for a few minutes and the butter was melted and incorporated throughout, I added the Chicken Broth. Bring that to a simmer and let it reduce a bit and also soften the potatoes.

Then add both cans of corn. The Cream I heated in the microwave for about 30 seconds to take the chill off and bring it to room temperature. I do this with most dairy products when I'm going to add it to a hot pan. I find that this prevents it from curdling. And that's no good when it curdles. It looks gross and you got to toss it and then you get in a bad mood because you wasted your time and food. So, I always recommending bringing cream, milk, sour cream, etc. to room temperature before adding them to a hot pan.

After adding the cream, I stirred and mixed it all together. I added lots of black pepper. A little kosher salt. Not too much salt because the Ham Steak is already salty. I let it simmer until the potatoes were the perfect texture. Slightly firm, but not mushy.

That's it. Then I served it. My daughter ate two big bowls of this. My husband ate four. I had two myself and plan on having some leftovers today for lunch. It's really good. It's sweet from the corn, but smokey from the ham. The two flavors come together so nicely.

I can see bacon being awesome in this. I can also see using a nice sausage that has kick to it, like an andouille or chorizo. Mmmmm....sweet and spicy playing nice together...that would work very well.

And it's so comforting. A perfect Sunday meal for the beginning of Fall.

My Husband's All Time Favorite-Taco Soup

I tell my husband that I'm making Taco Soup for dinner and he gets all levels of happy. Seriously. I should start holding his love for Taco Soup over his head. Like when I see a new pair of shoes that I want and he says No, I'll say "But I'll make Taco Soup for dinner..." and he'll give in. I must try this the next time he says no to getting me a Tea-Cup Pig. Have you seen these little guys? I seriously want to be the first in my neighborhood to own a Tea-Cup Pig. Too cute!!

Anyway, I usually make Taco Soup in the fall and winter, because it's a good, hearty soup. But the weather has been so blah and there was a whole lot of rain and wind over the weekend (in case you have not heard), so I decided there is nothing like a big pot of Taco Soup to warm the bellies, hearts, and souls. And best of all, not only is it awesome tasting, but it's not bad for you either.

Now, two recipes ago, I made my Mock-o Bell. This is very similar, but with a few tweaks here and there.

You need:
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 large can of Tomato Puree
1 large can of Corn
Onion
Bell Pepper
1 can of water
Taco Seasoning
1 packet of Ranch Seasoning
1 can of Kidney Beans

Here we go. So simple and all in one pot. Don't you just love it when a meal is cooked in just one pot? Such an easy clean up!

Start off by browning the Ground Turkey. You might be tempted to use beef, but don't. I did once and it wasn't the same. Plus the amount of grease was too much for a soup.

As the Turkey is browning, dice up an Onion and Bell Pepper. Throw it in the pot and mix it all up. Let the veggies soften a bit. Then dump the entire large can of Tomato Puree in and mix it all up.

Next comes the can of corn. Dump it in, water and all and mix. Now, it should be looking pretty thick right now. More like a stew, so fill that corn can up with water then pour about half into the pot. Mix. Is it still looking too thick for you? Then go ahead and pour the rest of the water in.

Season it with the Taco Packet. How little or how much is up to you. Then the Ranch Seasoning packet. I like the whole packet in there. Mix it all up really good and let it simmer for a bit. I usually let it simmer for about 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Last comes the Kidney Beans. Dump them in a strainer first and rinse them off. About five minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, pour the beans in and...yes...mix.

It smells so good. And the colors...that yellow, with the red, and bits of green peeking throughout. Such a pretty soup!!

Have fun with it!! Serve it with some shredded cheese or a little dollop of Sour Cream on top. Crumble some tortilla chips into it or even let the kids put some Cheddar Gold Fish Crackers on top. Hot sauce can be a good thing if you want more kick. Or even some diced Jalapenos.

Or...just serve it as it. Hot and steamy. Warm and comforting. Sweet and Spicy. And, it's all good.

Cool Whip Cookies...Who Knew?

Last week, pretty much the entire East Coast was getting ready for Hurricane Irene, including me. The newscasters, mayors, governors, and everyone else were all going into complete panic and as a Mom, instead of being excited...well, I went into panic too.

After stocking up on water, running out to buy unscented candles (do you know how hard it is to find UNSCENTED CANDLES!!! I mean, really...scented candles are nice, but I don't need the house to smell like vanilla boiled crisped linens dried on grass in the clouds when there's a MAJOR storm coming), gathering all flashlights and batteries, moving outdoor crap indoors, tying down the larger outdoor crap, and cursing Irene who I renamed "The Bitch".....after all that, I remembered that I needed to make ice, in case we needed to use a cooler. In order to make ice, I needed room in the freezer.

I have one of those side by side refrigerators where nothing fits. It's the only regret I have when it comes to my kitchen. I love EVERYTHING about my kitchen, I designed it myself. It's large, it's fun, it's colorful, it's different (who else has a jukebox in their kitchen?)...but that fridge? That fridge looks so big, but fits nothing. Biggest kitchen related mistake I ever made. If anyone out there is thinking of buying a new refrigerator, do NOT get the side by side fridge/freezer. You won't be able to fit a darn thing. Especially if you either have a large family or like to entertain most holidays and celebrations, like I do.

As I was rummaging through the freezer and trying to decide what to toss, what to make my kids eat, and what to defrost to make dinner, I came across a big tub of Cool Whip that was just taking up unnecessary space that I needed for storing ice. I remembered reading a long time ago that you can make cookies out of Cool Whip and Cake Mix.

I took it out to defrost and did a quick Google to see if I remembered correctly and if I needed anything else. I'm almost always stocked up on Boxed Cake Mix, because I'm not much of a baker. So I figured: it's rainy, I don't want to waste the Cool Whip, the kids are bored, we can have cookies to snack on during our little Hurricane Party.

After googling, I was right. Cool Whip Cookies are a real thing. All you need are:
a box of the cake mix flavor of your choice
8 ounces of Cool Whip
1 egg
powdered sugar
2 bored kids stuck in the house on a rainy day (optional)

I had a large tub of Cool Whip (16 ounces), so with two bored kids, it made sense to make two batches. I let them choose what flavor cake mix each, and off we went to have some kitchen fun while we awaited Irene's Wrath.

This is a GREAT project for kids because it's so simple. It's also quick, so they won't get bored with it. And they taste great!!

First, mix the Cool Whip with the egg. Then dump in the cake mix of your choice. Mix it all together and you will have a really sticky, almost glossy dough. It's really, really sticky. So we stuck the bowl of dough in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to firm it up a bit.

Then, with a cookie dough scooper (or very small ice cream scooper) we scooped out little balls of dough and dropped them in a bowl of Powdered Sugar. Gave the dough ball a little roll, then moved it to a cookie sheet.

We baked them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. When we took them out, we transferred the cookies carefully to a cooling rack (the cookies are very soft). On the rack, they firmed up a bit more.

They look great. All crackled like old fashion, home baked cookies. And they taste great. I thought the rolling of them in Powdered Sugar was a bit of an overkill, so next time, I'm just going to give the cookies a light dusting of sugar and call it a day.


The kids LOVED them! The funny thing is, my daughter chose to make the Yellow Cake Mix and she really liked the Devil Food Mix that my son picked who in returned loved the Yellow Cake Mix that my daughter picked....did you get that?


You can tell two different "chefs" made them too. The vanilla ones are bigger and spread out more. The chocolate ones were higher and smaller. I wonder why?

The cookies are soft cookies. Very moist. Almost like a cross between a blondie/brownie and a cookie. They go awesome with a cold glass of milk. And the best part (besides being an awesome snack) the home baked smells and taste were so comforting. They made the house feel safe and cozy even with a big storm headed our way.

Craving Taco Bell? Try my Mock-O Bell!

I will admit it. I LOVE Taco Bell!!! It's so far down on the food scale, but it is sooo good. For Mother's Day, I don't want reservations at a fancy restaurant. I just want my hubby to go out and get me Taco Bell. And then I'm pretty happy.

Like 95% of pregnant women out there, Taco Bell was high on my cravings list. I don't know what it is about pregnant ladies and Taco Bell...they just go hand in hand. Seriously, the next time you go to Taco Bell, take a look around. I bet you spot more than one pregnant lady. And if you don't, they just aren't showing yet. Or they don't know it yet. But they are there. I guarantee it.

Over the weekend, I was craving Taco Bell, but I'm really trying to get a healthier view on my life. You can read about it here in my brand new blog: www.themoviejunkieloses.blogspot.com

Anyway, since I'm watching what I'm eating and trying to make better choices, Taco Bell was out of the question. Sure, I could just order one Taco, Chulupa, Gordita, Mex-Melt, or whatever strikes my fancy, but let's be honest here...NO ONE goes to Taco Bell to just order one item. Taco Bell is like a Stoner's Heaven. Pure gluttony.

So, I threw together a quick and easy, and somewhat healthy Mock-O Bell dinner on Saturday night. And I gotta say, it was pretty darn tasty and completely satisfied that Taco Bell craving.

And the best? It was made in one pan!! Yeah! Served it up on paper plates. Easey Peasey. No Muss No Fuss!

What you need:
One deep pan
Ground Turkey
Taco Seasoning
Ranch Seasoning
Onion, diced
Green Bell Pepper, diced
Can of Corn
A little bit of Tomato Puree
Fat Free Refried Beans
Taco Shells/ Tortilla Wraps

In the pan, brown the Ground Turkey. Then season with Taco Seasoning and Ranch Seasoning. How much? Depends on how you like it. You know your taste buds. Trust them. I like about 1/4 to 1/5 of the envelope of Taco Seasoning and the entire envelope of Ranch Seasoning.

Throw in the diced Onions and Peppers and mix it all up. Let it cook for a few minutes, to get a little soft. Then dump the can of Corn in. The whole can...including the water. It gives it a nice, sweet flavor in contrast with the Taco Seasoning's spices.

Add some Tomato Puree. A few tablespoons should do. Enough to bind the mixture a bit and to mellow out the saltiness of the Seasonings. Let it cook a bit more. Then drop the Refried Beans in and work at it. Mix it all in so it will thin out as it heats.

When it's all incorporated and hot, it's done. For the kids, I served it with taco shells. My hubby actually ate it over Yellow Rice. I had it in one of those low carb/low fat tortilla wraps.

And it was GOOD!! The only fat comes from the Ground Turkey. You got your veggies between the corn, the onions, the peppers, and the beans. And it's got that sloppy, fast food way about it.

It ain't a gourmet dinner, but it's an average fast food taco place American meal. I admit, when you cook it all up, it ain't much to look at, but neither is any Taco Bell meal.


Make it the way you like it. Serve it with chips, as a dip. Add some jalapenos or hot sauce to kick up the heat level. Add lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole. I'm telling you...it's a pretty darn good alternative to the real thing.

The Easiest Soup In The World

This whole post is actually somewhat of a joke. I mean, it's not really a recipe. But maybe there's someone out there that has never tried this or thought of it. This is Tortellini Soup.


Tortellini Soup and I go waaaaay back. I remember my Grandmother making it for me as a little girl. I remember going to an Italian Restaurant that served it as an appetizer, but my Mom would always order it for me as my meal. And I would slurp those little donut shaped, cheese filled pastas up like there was no tomorrow.

And for the longest time, I thought Tortellini was only to be eaten as a soup. Just the Tortellini and the broth. Eventually, I learned to appreciate and adore Tortellini in different ways, including Tortellini Salad, Tortellini Al Fredo, and even Tortellini is a tomato sauce. Or gravy.

And for a long time, Tortellini Soup was forgotten. Until I had my kids. Then, I remembered how much I loved Tortellini Soup. It's one of those dishes that bring back memories. One of the flavors, that as I taste it, I can close my eyes and hear my Grandmother's voice and convince myself I'm like five years ago. It is truly a comforting, Soul Soothing bowl of memories.

After my kids came along, I started making it for them. And they can't get enough of it. Whenever I make soup for their lunch or for a quick dinner, it is almost always 99% Tortellini Soup. My son can live on this soup. And I really don't mind, because it's so easy and simple and quick to make.

Are you ready? Are you ready for the recipe?

It's a carton of Chicken Broth (I use the Fat Free and Low Sodium because the Tortellini's are already salty enough from the cheese). And it's a bag of dried Tortellini.


Ta-Da!!

Well, you got to bring the broth up to a boil first. Then drop the Tortellini's in. Let them cook for about 8 minutes...then...

Ta-Da!!!

One pot. Two ingredients. And it is seriously some good stuff. Better than any canned soup, that's for sure.

You can, and I have, add some diced chicken, sliced carrots and celery. But most of the times I just make it with the broth and pasta. That's it. Usually when I'm just not in the mood to cook or make a mess or feed my kids, but I know I have to feed them or I'll go down in Mommie Dearest History or something.

This is also great for cooking quickly in the morning, then filling up the kids' little soup thermos for a nice, warm lunch.

Funny thing is, I whipped this up one afternoon when my Dad was here. He had three bowls of it. He thought it was the best thing ever. And I laughed.

But...sometimes simple is the best thing ever.

Presto! It's Pesto!

I discovered Pesto later on in life. I don't really remember where or how. I just know that I absolutely LOVE IT!! If there is something with Pesto on the menu, I'm ordering it.

One of my favorite dishes was this grilled chicken and mozzarella panini sandwich with Pesto from Joshua Tree on Restaurant Row. Everytime I went there, I had to get this Panini. So good!!

Then, I tried this proscuitto sandwich with a Pesto dressing at another restaurant one time. Proscuitto and Pesto? Oh my!!! HEAVEN!!!

And of course, there's always Pesto Pasta. And it's always so good.

A couple of years ago, not knowing how to make Pesto, I bought some jarred stuff. Eh. Not the same. I also tried some freeze dried envelope packet thingy. Even worse. Pesto really needs to be fresh. And truthfully, since I've started making my own, there is something so special about it. The smell of the fresh basil and the toasted pine nuts...it really wakes up the kitchen and the senses.

Pesto is so easy. So uncomplicated. You really can't screw this up. Only once, did I mess it up and that's because I didn't have a Food Processor and tried to make it in a blender, then a mini-chopper and it was just a mess. After that, I bought myself a Food Processor.

Here's how simple it is. It's lots of fresh Basil, rinsed off and patted dry with some paper towels.


A good handful of Pine Nuts...or as my mother would call them: Pignoli's. I like to toast them ever so lightly in a dry pan over a low flame.


When you start to smell the Pine Nuts, turn off the heat and let them cool just a bit, then give them a whirl in the Food Processor. This will release even more goodness to the nose...the smell reminds me of an old fashioned Italian bakery.


Pull the Basil from the stems and pile it in the Food Processor. Top it off with lots of Grated Parm Cheese, some salt and pepper, and lots of minced garlic. I also love to add some fresh Lemon Zest. The citrus from the zest really brightens the flavor of the Pesto.


Let the Food Chopper whirl again while you slowly drizzle Olive Oil in, letting the whole thing emulsify.


The Basil, the Pignoli's, the Lemon, the Garlic...so much going on, but so simple.

While you are doing all this, have your water boiling and salted. Cook the pasta of your choice. I like to use a real thin spaghetti. The pasta is light and the Pesto is the star of the dish with a thin spaghetti.

After the pasta is drained, just toss the Pesto throughout out. You can control how much too. A little. A lot. I like just enough to coat the pasta.


And Presto! You made Pesto! This is a great vegatarian option or a great meal for a hot summer night. The only thing you are cooking is the pasta. No slaving away over a hot stove or oven.

I love this stuff. I can't get enough of it. Eat it on pasta, as a dressing on sandwiches. Top on grilled chicken or shrimp. Drizzle a bit on Bruschetta. The options are endless.

No Meat Fridays

Growing up, this time of the year meant the fresh smell of grass, new flowers blossoming out of the dirt, the sound of lawnmowers, Cadbury Eggs and Yellow Peeps, and...no eating meat on Fridays.

So, most of my Fridays were spent either waiting forever for a pizza to be delivered, because I'm pretty sure this is the busiest time of the year for them (Fridays during Lent) or eating what my Mom would call "Poor Man's Supper".

Poor Man's Supper is so easy and so simple and it has become a real comfort food for me over the years. Spaghetti, Olive Oil, and Garlic. That's it. If you wanted to, you can sprinkle some grated parm cheese in there too. So simple. So cheap. So good.

I have carried on the tradition of serving Poor Man's Supper on Fridays during Lent, but last week, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to do Pizza. But I didn't want to wait forever to have one delivered. And the truth is...I enjoy making my own Pizza Pies.

I started off by putting my oven on at 500 degrees. The hotter the oven, the better the crust cooks. If you are afraid of a really hot oven or your oven doesn't go that high for whatever reason, then partially bake the crust first to firm it up. It'll help from getting a soggy crust.

Then, I made the kid's Pizza:


Easy peasy. Pizza Dough, stretched out. Some jarred sauce. Some sliced Mozzarella cheese. And we are done. If it wasn't Friday, I would have plopped some pepperoni on it too. But...that would have been a sin.


Then, I wanted to make a "Grown Up Pizza" for me and Hubby.

Pizza Dough. Always get the real thing. Not the stuff that comes in a can. Most stores carry real Pizza Dough now. And they freeze pretty well.


I brushed the dough with a mixture of Olive Oil and some Minced Garlic.


Then topped with with thinly sliced Tomatoes.


Then nice, big slices of Mozzarella Cheese. And a Sprinkling of Chopped Basil.


Baked at that high temp for about 15 minutes. I love when the cheese gets a little burnt. That's the best part.


Mmmmm.....soooooo good!!! This is great for those who used to live in New York or the surrounding areas and miss that good ole' New York Style Pizza. I highly recommend investing in a Pizza Stone to bake it on. It makes a WORLD of a Difference in the crust. So close to a Pizzeria.