BBQ Beef Quesadillas

Yum! Another new recipe which my whole family ate and enjoyed!

10 tortillas
1 can refried beans
1 tub BBQ beef (I used Lloyd's)
2 C Mexican cheese

Warm the BBQ beef according to package directions. Spread about 1/4 C refried beans on 5 tortillas. Divvy the BBQ beef among the 5 tortillas and spread. Sprinkle cheese over the beef. Top with the remaining tortillas. Place in greased skillet and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into 6 wedges.

Serve with sour cream mixture.

Sour Cream Mixture:
1 C sour cream
1/3 C minced fresh cilantro
1 t lime juice


This was yummy and so very easy!

yummy recipes

I blogged here about my new recipe book and the "only okay" recipes I had tried.

I tried a couple more over the weekend and they were good! We tried the pizza meatball subs and they were good and something everyone in my family would probably eat (Alec may have a bit of trouble because they're a bit messy).

My favorite was the Penne Chicken with sun-Dried Tomatoes. Yum! So, here's the recipe:

3 3/4 C uncooked penne pasta
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1 lb. cooked chicken strips
1 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
2 C shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta and drain. Put all ingredients except cheese in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

I loved it but I can be sure Chandler wouldn't eat it because of the tomatoes. Oh well. Sometimes you just have to cook what you, yourself, will like!

black bean, sweet potato enchiladas

My sister, Dawnette, called me with a recipe suggestion. She'd found it on Belly Bites (a healthy eating blog). I tried it and it was wonderful!

The recipe is for Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas and can be found here. Her pictures of the finished product look much better than mine (I took it before the sour cream and lettuce. However, my picture of the "stuffing" is so appetizing. The colors looked so appealing I was tempted to eat straight out of the skillet!


Yum! I heartily recommend this dish.

pancakes

I have NEVER liked pancakes - all that soggy bread (and soggy from something equally disgusting - maple syrup!).

That is, I've never liked them until this year. No, my taste buds didn't change - my recipes did. Dawnette gave me this recipe for "Perfect Pancake Mix" (I think it's from the Family Fun cookbook).

Perfect Pancake Mix:
(makes 7 1/2 C mix)

3 C flour
3 t baking soda
4 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1 T sugar
2 C whole wheat flour
1 C 7-whole grain cereal
1 C cornmeal
4 T wheat germ

To make the pancakes:

1 egg
1/2 C milk
1/2 C mix

Yummy! I guess I just like my pancakes with some substenance. I like to eat these plain (none of that horrid maple syrup).


Then, this week I came across another pancake recipe that will go in my "breakfast favorites" file - Applesauce Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup.

Applesauce Pancakes:

2 eggs
2 C flour
1 C milk
1 C applesauce
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 C oil
2 T sugar
2 T baking powder
1 t salt

Beat eggs until fluffy and then beat remaining ingredients.

Cinnamon Syrup:

! C sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/2 C light corn syrup
1/4 C water
1/2 C evaporated milk

In a saucepan combine the sugar and cinnamon. Pour in corn syrup and water and stir to dissolve. Boil, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Cool. Sir in evaporated milk and serve. Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any! heehee!)

BLT Wraps

I love BLTs - they are just the perfect summer food.

I came across this recipe in the newspaper and decided to try it! I was a huge hit with my family and with a group of girlfriends. Hope it's a big success at your home too.

BLT Wraps
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C salsa
1/4 C diced red onion
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 Roma tomatoes, diced (I like more tomato)
6 leaves green leafy lettuce
6 10-inch tomato tortillas/wraps

Beat together cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in salsa and onion. Spread equal amounts on the tortillas. Sprinkle with bacon and tomatoes. Lay a lettuce leaf on top and tightly roll the tortilla.

favorite recipe

Kevin requested one of our family's favorite recipes for his Father's Day dinner. I haven't made it in a little while and had forgotten how much we all love this recipe.

Penne with Sausage and Broccoli
1 pound penne pasta
3 C broccoli florets
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz lowfat turkey or chicken sausage
1/2 C fat free chicken broth
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
ground black pepper

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. Add broccoli and cook 3 minutes or until both are tender. Drain and place in a large bowl. While pasta is cooking, coat a nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Crumble sausage into skillet. Cook 5 minutes or until browned. Pour over the pasta in the large bowl. Add the broth, Parmesan cheese, oil and vinegar. Toss to mix. Season with pepper.


Truly yummy!

FALL = SOUP!

One of the great things about Fall, and there are many, is that it is soup weather! I love soup!

I am so excited because I found TWO delicious new recipes that my family loved and that used the harvest from my garden. How great is that?

First, I found a recipe for zucchini soup in The Deseret News. No, don't groan about the zucchini! The soup was wonderful! It tasted just like a creamy potato soup. My sister and I had it along with our children and another sister's children. EVERY one of them liked it! (you can't beat that)

Zucchini Soup
3 pounds zucchini (8-9 cups of chunks)
1/2 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 t salt
2 cans condensed chicken broth
1 can water
1 1/2 C half-and-half cream or 2% milk
1/2 t pepper

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil and cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Puree in small batches in blender. Return to pan and add cream or milk and pepper. Reheat and serve.
*Cook's note: I used evaporated milk. This would also be good if you added cooked potato chunks, clams, broccoli, or cheese.


Second, I tried a Tuscan Tomato Soup recipe that I saw on "Good Things Utah". It was yummy and filling.

Tuscan Tomato Soup
2 large onions, diced small
3 T olive oil
5 C tomatoes (peeled and seeded then diced)
2 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1 C basil pesto
salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions in olive oil over moderately low heat until onions are completely translucent. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cream and pesto and then puree in blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
*Cook's note: I only used 1/2 C basil pesto so the flavor would be milder. (I wanted my children to like it.)