Southwestern Goulash

I found this recipe in the cook book Busy Family Favorites. I think you could easily substitute the ground beef for turkey meat for a lighter option.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

 1 lb ground beef
1 cup uncooked pasta
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2/3 cup frozen corn (not pictured)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce (not pictured)
1/2 can (2 oz) chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the fat.

Stir in the tomatoes, corn, tomato sauce, chilies, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes.

Drain the pasta, add to meat mixture. Stir and serve!


From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Tortellini Soup

We are not big soup eaters in our house. This recipe is a little less like soup and more like a pasta dish with a heavier sauce to me, but it is called tortellini soup. It is made in a slow cooker, so naturally it is an easy recipe. I found it through Pinterest on heatherlikesfood.com.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients 

24 oz pasta sauce
3 or 4 cups chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 large onion, chopped
16 oz frozen tortellini
1 lb ground beef
8 oz sliced mushrooms
4.5 oz fresh spinach
Meat seasoning blend



Instructions

Brown ground beef with seasoning in large skillet.

 Cut up the cream cheese block into small cubes. In the crock-pot, put the cream cheese, mushrooms, pasta sauce, onion, and chicken broth. Stir together. Cook on low for 6 hours.

 Stir in the spinach and tortellini and cook on low another 30 minutes.

Serve with crackers as a soup. You can also freeze any left overs.


From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Turkey Spinach Meatballs

I have never been a big meatball eater, so I was worried about making these. I have this pact with myself though that I will keep trying the same foods eat year that I may have disliked before, and that way some day I may chance my mind and enjoy them. These meatballs are delicious! They are good on a hoagie roll as a meatball sub or just on their own with a little marinara sauce poured on top. You can also freeze the leftovers and save them for later. I found them through Pinterest on homecookingmemories.com and tweaked it just slightly.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

 2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp ground oregano
9 oz fresh spinach, chopped
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 lb ground turkey
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet in foil and spray with cooking spray. In a frying pan on medium heat, heat olive oil until hot. Then add onion, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Sauté until onion is tender, about 5-6 minutes.

Add spinach to pan and combine with onion mixture. Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth and mix well to combine. Cook until most of the liquid has cooked out. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature if have time.

 Meanwhile, mash the turkey meat together with eggs and bread crumbs. I used my hands here.

 Add the onion and spinach mixture to the turkey meat. I started to combine with a spoon and then just used my hands because it was a lot easier.

Form 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and place on the baking sheet an inch or two apart.

 Bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

I used when in a meatball sub I made for my husband, with some marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.


From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Orange Chicken

This recipe is delicious! It is also super easy to make, and super quick. I found it through Pinterest on gimmesomeoven.com.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

 1 or 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
toasted sesame seeds
thinly sliced green onions

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink in the middle, about 5 or 6 minutes.

 Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, corn starch, rice wine vinegar, orange juice, garlic, and ground ginger.

 Once the chicken is cooked, add the orange sauce mixture.

Bring to a boil and let simmer for a couple minutes, or until the sauce is a glaze.

Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.


From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Chicken with Tomato Dressing

I am always searching for ways to make chicken more flavorful, because I get bored of it really easily. This chicken has a lot of flavor and it still light :)

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 tbsp orange juice
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 chicken breasts
Handful of almonds
4 tbsp olive oil
8 dried apricots quartered
1 large tomato, diced
4 tbsp sliced mint
(Ignore the yogurt in the picture, I didn't end up using it)

Instructions

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium skillet, add the orange juice, lemon juice,  and garlic. Stir and heat over high heat about 2 minutes.

 Line baking pan with parchment paper. Place chicken on pan and spoon 1 tbsp of the sauce mixture over each chicken breast. Bake for 9 minutes.

 Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, mix tomato, dried apricots, olive oil, and mint together.

 After the 9 minutes, take chicken out and sprinkle almonds over the chicken breasts and pour more of the juice mixture over the chicken. Bake for 7 more minutes.

Place chicken breasts on a plate and spoon the tomato mixture over the breasts. I served mine with roasted eggplant and bread.

From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Glazed Burger & Sweet Potato Fries

I found this recipe for a glazed burger in a wonderful cookbook my sister got me, Everybody Everyday by Alex Mackay. You can serve the burger with or without a bun. I made it with homemade sweet potato fries on the side.

Serves 2

Ingredients 

8 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
4 tsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil to taste
2 ground beef patties
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes

Instructions

 Cut the sweet potatoes into small pieces, similar to fries. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss sweet potato pieces in olive oil and salt and pepper.

 Arrange on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper so that the pieces are all flat on the sheet, and not on top of one another.

 Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for another 10 min.

Meanwhile, season the patties on each side. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Place burgers in oil.

 Fry burgers in oil over high heat for 3 minutes on each side. Drain the fat from the skillet.

 Add butter to the pan. Fry burgers on each side over medium heat for 30 seconds each. Set burgers aside to rest for a few minutes.

 In the same skillet, add the red onion and heat until browned.

 At this point the fries should be done, and be browned. Take out and set aside.

 To finish the glaze: add 8 tbsp of orange juice to the red onions. Bring to a boil. Stir in barbecue sauce. Stir and heat until thick. Put the burgers in the glaze and turn to coat.

Serve with extra glaze poured on top and a side of sweet potato fries.

From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Homemade Chili

I think the easiest way to make chili is in a slow cooker. I found this recipe a long time ago, and honestly do not know what cookbook it is from. It is easy and delicious though!

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

 1 lb of ground beef (can also use turkey)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp ground oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup tomato pureee
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
Sketch the milk from the picture, I excluded it in the end.

Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. add diced onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook until onion browns.

 Add in ground beef and tomato puree. Cook until the meat is browned and no longer pink.

 This is what your meat should look like before adding to the slow cooker.

 In the slow cooker, add the kidney beans, diced tomatoes with juice, brown sugar, oregano, soy sauce, and cooked ground beef mixture. Stir together.

Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve with saltine crackers.

From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay