Taco Soup

I know, I know...we already have a taco soup recipe. The one that was originally posted on the blog was good, but I think this new one might be better. Tough to tell though, without a side-by-side taste test.

The recipe below is nice and easy, and Dave and I make it all the time. We always halve it, and still have lots of leftovers for a few bonus meals. Hope you give it a try!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

1 medium sweet onion, diced

5 stalks celery, chopped

1 15oz can of tomato sauce

1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

2 15oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 15oz cans corn, with juice

2 packs taco seasoning (2 oz) - Most recently, I used one pack of taco and one pack of chili seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

cheese, sour cream, and chips for serving

Directions:

1. Brown the beef, adding the diced onion near the end. Drain the grease.

2. In a large pot, combine cooked beef/onion with remaining ingredients. Let the mixture come to a boil and simmer on low for 1 hr, or longer. I know it's done when the celery is cooked to the texture I like, and flavors have come together.

3. I often add water if it cooks down too much, but it is tasty when really thick as well. Also, sometimes I feel like it needs a bit more chili powder- just add the seasoning to taste.

4. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

I think I'll use our new Le Crueset that Mom and Dad S. gave us for Christmas next time we make it!

(mmm....cheesy)

Recipe from Elle's Studio

Mom's Manicotti

A classic Sills dish! I would call it a Christmas Eve tradition- having manicotti alongside ham. Melissa helped prepare Mom's recipe, and it turned out great!

For the pasta...

Ingredients:

1c flour

1c water

3 eggs

2 tbs margarine, melted

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix by hand until smooth.

2. In a crepe pan or small nonstick frying pan over medium heat, ladle in 1/4c of the batter. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

3. Cook until the top looks dry (approx. 30 seconds), then flip and cook an additional 10 seconds.

For the filling and assembly...

Ingredients:

3lb ricotta

1lb grated mozzarella

2 eggs

1tbs (or more to taste) dried parsley

pinch sugar

2 jars tomato sauce, or the equivalent amount in homemade sauce

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients.

2. Working 1 at a time, place about 1 tbs ricotta mixture into center of each shell.

3. Roll pasta over filling and fold short ends under. Place in a rimmed baking pan that has been prepared with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Keep the shells tightly packed so that they do not open up during baking.

4. Cover completely with tomato sauce, and top with shredded mozzarella.

5. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 min.

6. Let sit for a bit before serving.


Ricotta mixture.

Ricotta in shell

Melissa preparing manicotti

Sitting in pan (sorry I don't have any pictures beyond this step!)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Melissa made this tasty dip for Christmas Eve. Mom's lack of food processor resulted in a more rustic dip, which Melissa and Matt preferred. A perfect party appetizer!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried (Melissa used canned)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling on top)
• Pita wedges or crudites, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and broil briefly to brown the top. Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Makes 12 servings

Recipe from Ellie Kreiger

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

If you read my last post, you will already know about my baking get-together the other night. Here you will learn how to make the delicious Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from the recipe that Leah brought. I believe she said that she got the recipe from her fiance Adam's mother.

Ingredients:
1c cocoa powder
2c sugar
1/2c vegetable oil
4 eggs
2tsp vanilla
2c flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2 c confectioners sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixer, combine the cocoa, sugar, and oil. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to above mixture. (At this point the dough was kind of a weird texture, but don't worry- everything was better once it chilled).
4. Refrigerate 2-4 hours.
5. Roll the dough into 1" balls, then roll into powdered sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Not sure what the official recipe yield was, but we got 2 1/2 cookie sheets full.


The other delectable cookie in the photo above is a Double Coconut Macaroon. The recipe is found here.

Chocolate Crinkle recipe from Leah's future mother in-law.

Double Coconut Macaroons

This is an exciting day! I just received my new computer in the mail- whoohoo!! I am so excited to do my first blog post on it.

This past weekend Dave and I had our friends over for games, crafting, and baking. We try to get together with them about once a month. The gals and I baked while the boys had their video game time. It was great! We each brought a recipe to make and share, and I had found a new (to me) recipe for coconut macaroons. They came out amazing, and I'm excited to share it!

Ingredients:
2 7oz packages sweetened flaked coconut, divided
2/3c (packed) powdered sugar (I did not pack the sugar, and they were still sweet enough in my opinion)
1/4c sweetened cream of coconut
1oz cream cheese, room temperature
3 tbs all purpose flour
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
12 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (we used semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Butter and flour the foil, then shake off excess.
2. In food processor, blend 1 package of the coconut with powdered sugar until finely ground and mixture feels moist.
3. In mixer (or food processor if yours is large enough- mine was not), combine coconut/sugar mixture with cream of coconut, cream cheese, flour, egg white, vanilla, and salt. This final mixture will be soft and loose.
4. Place remaining bag of flaked coconut in a bowl or pie plate. Drop heaping tablespoonful of mixture into the coconut and roll to coat completely. Using palms of hands, gently roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheet. (Makes about 15 large cookies)
5. Bake the macaroons until golden brown and just firm to touch, about 35 min (mine took 30). Cool cookies completely on rack.
6. Melt chocolate, and dip bottom 1/2 inch of each cookie into the chocolate, then place on waxed paper. Repeat, and refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 30 min.


The other cookie on the plate above is the recipe Leah brought for Chocolate Crinkle cookies- also amazing! The recipe is here.

Macaroon recipe from the Bon Appetit Cookbook.

Apple Chutney

Here's a recipe for a great appetizer that Melissa and I made for Jen and Dave when they were at our house for New Year's Eve last year. It was originally inspired by an appetizer we had at a restaurant called The Lost Dog Cafe in Binghamton, NY. We like to serve this apple chutney with baked brie and toasted French bread.

Ingredients:

• 3 tart apples - peeled, cored, and finely chopped

• 1/4 yellow onion, quartered

• 5/8 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled

• 3 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons white sugar

• 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons brown sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, mix the apples, onion, ginger, vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg.


2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover.


3. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender.


4. Mix in some water if necessary to keep the ingredients moist.


5. Remove the onion and ginger, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com. The ingredient amounts shown here are drastically reduced to make a more manageable amount of chutney.