Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheddar Chowder

This is a good twist to regular broccoli cheese soup. You can leave some things out like the red peeper, I used onion powder the kids like that better. I also use less Cumin

only 4 servings so I double or triple it.


1 small head broccoli
1 large boiling potato (1/2 pound)
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 T unsalted butter
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper (I use white)
1/2 t. dry mustard
2 T. flour
3/4 cup heavy cream (my sister in law uses skim condenced milk for less fat)
6 ounces of sharp chedder cheese (I have used mild as well just use more)

Discard tough lower third of broccoli stem. Peel reamining stems and finely chop. Cut remaining broccoli into very small florets. Cook florets in a large pot of boiling water, until just tender, 3 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain. Reserve 3 cups cooking water for chowder.
peel potato and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. cook potato, onion, bell pepper, broccoli stems, and garlic in better in a 3 to 4 quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened 8 to 10 minutes. Add cumin, salt, pepper, and mustard and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add reserved cooking water and simmer (partially covered), stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted, then season with salt and pepper.

Puree about 2 cups of chowder in a blender until smooth. and return to pot. Add florets and cook over heated through,m about 2 minutes

Cafe Rio Pork Salad!

I love this salad, as do a lot of people. I am so excited for this one!I have not tried it yet, so let us know how it is!

Cafe Rio Pulled pork

2 1/2 pounds of pork tender

mix:
1 1/2c. Brown Sugar
1 1/2c. salsa
1 c. Coke
(just do equal parts of salsa and coke however much you need or want.)

put pork in a crock pot and then add mixture. Cook for 7 hrs. then shred the pork and cook for 30 min. (the pork will then absorb all the juices.)

Cafe Rio Rice
3 cups of rice
4 cups of water
4 tsp. of chicken bouillon
1 Tbs. of butter
1/2 onion chopped fine
4 tsp of minced garlic
1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro
1 can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp. salt

saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is soft. Add the rice and water and all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 to 20 min.

Cafe Rio House Dressing
1 packet of ranch dressing mix (hidden valley)
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk

put all ingredients in blender and chill before serving.

1 cup. chopped cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
3 tomatillos (skin removed)
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper


serve in a bowl with a warm tortilla. layer, rice and black or pinto beans, romaine lettuce, pork, crushed tortilla chips and dressing.

*Melinda Ford said...
Hey, so I made this tonight for a family dinner...and everyone LOVED it! They said the dressing tastes just like Cafe Rio and some really loved the pork. I made double dressing though and it was WAY too much. I almost doubled the pork too, and we ate it all. One batch of rice, and we had plenty of leftovers of that too. I'll definitely make this again!!! Thanks, Rebecca

Becca Said.....
I made this finally last night and oh it was so good and so worth it. It was not that hard to do, just a lot of ingredients. I would make 1/2 the rice suggested for sure I have tons left. Also the salsa that I added was the new pace line it was Tequila lime salsa (no worries the alcohol cooks out!)It was so darn good in it. The pork is not exactly like Cafe Rio's, but the dressing is and that is all that matters! We are going to make this a lot.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscano Soup

I Really enjoy this soup and me and my mother-in-law made it last weekend and it tasted exactly like Olive Garden's!

Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.

Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic.
Cook until boiling
Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir in the sausage.
Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

Fall Morning Breakfast

Pumpkin Pancakes
This is a recipe from my Friend Susan Andersen....Thank you Susan for this one (I happen to love Pumpkin and Pancakes!)

2 cups pancake or waffle mix
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 12-ounce evaporated milk
1 cup pumpkin
3 Tbsp veg. oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Mix all together and beat until smooth. Cook like regular pancakes.


(This is an awesome recipe to try with the pancakes. My aunt gave me this one and now it's the family favorite)

Buttermilk syrup

1 cup butter(not margarine)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix first 3 together until melted on stove top. Add baking soda and vanilla. It will foam so use a little bigger sauce pan to allow for that.
love pumpkin and pancakes!)
*Me and my family tried this today and oh my thank you so much for this recipe Susan! the syrup is like magleby's fresh and I have tried to figure that out forever!
I shall never make another syrup agian!
posted by: Becca oct. 4th 2008

Yummy!!!!!!!!!

P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps
these are so close to theirs! oh this is a great find because I crave these often, but don't want to pay the price to go out as often as I want them.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves icberg lettuce (I use romaine or butter for the nutition)

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste
Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions

1.Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.

2.Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.

3.Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.

4.Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.

5.Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

6.Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.

7.Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.

8.Remove chicken from the pan and cool.

9.Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.

10.As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

11.Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

12.When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

13.With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.

14.Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.

15.Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".

16.Top with"Special Sauce".

Sooo Good! But Not So Easy and Fast!

Chicken Breast Supreme
This Recipe makes a lot so I cut in in 1/2 a lot. It is defiantly worth the work! I got it from a recipe book from the Jehovah Witness church.

Chicken breast supreme!

12 Chicken Breast
1/4C. Flour
2 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Paprika
1/4 C. Butter
2 tsp. Cornstarch
1 1/2 C. Half and Half or Light Cream
1/4 C. Cooking Spray
1 tsp. Grated Lemon Peel
1 T. Lemon Juice
1 C. Shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 C . Chopped Parsley

Mix flour, salt, and paprika in a bag. Shake chicken to coat. In skillet heat butter and brown chicken. Add 1/4 Cup water and simmer covered for 30 min. Or until almost tender. Put chicken in 9x13 pan. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup half and half. Stir into skillet drippings. Cook over low heat stirring. Gradually stir in remaining half and half, sherry, lemon peel and lemon juice.
Cook stirring until thickened. Pour over chicken. Bake covered @ 350 for 35 min. or until sauce is bubbly. Uncover and sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Bake a few minutes longer to melt cheese. Garnish with parsley and Enjoy your Juicy, tender Chicken!

Baked Beans (these are really good homemade beans, and not too hard.) Also makes a lot.
I got this recipe from my sister in laws mom who feeds the first presidency of the church. And they love these.

Homemade Baked beans

1 lb. Ground Beef
3/4 lb. Bacon (we like the precooked peppered bacon best.)
3/4 C. chopped onion
2 Lg. Cans pork and beans
2 Lg. Cans drained kidney beans
1-2 Cans butter beans, drained.
1 cup Ketchup

1/2 C. brown sugar
4 T. Mustard
3 T. Vinegar
1 tsp. Salt
Dash of Pepper
1 Lg. Green pepper, diced

Brown hamburger and drain. Brown onions , green pepper and bacon. Then drain. Mix all together and cook on Med-Low for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. Or put in Oven at 275 for two Hrs. Or put in crock pot for a few hours.



Chicken Crepe' Enchilada's
This one is from Windy! She used to always make these for me and they are tasty!

Make up a batch of crepe's (doesn't matter which one like 15 crepe's)

Cook 1 1/2 lbs of chicken
1/2 bag of frozen broccoli (cooked)
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
( if you aren't doubling the recipe just use 1 can of cream of chicken soup so you don't waste food)
1 8oz sour cream
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 cup grated cheddar cheese

cheese sauce
put cream of mushroom and cream of chicken, worcestershire sauce and sour cream and 1 cup of cheese into sauce pan cook on low heat til it's all blended

place chicken and broccoli (already cooked) on crepe's and a tbsp of cheese sauce inside then roll up and put rest of sauce on top and remaining cheese on top too bake at 350'F for 20 to 30 minutes just till cheese is melter on top
super yummy

posted by: Windy October 1, 2008 9:26 AM

This is the Crepe recipe that I use.....

4 large Eggs
2 cups flour
2 1/4 cup. Milk
1/4c. canola oil
1 tsp salt

I like to put it all in the blender and add the flour slowly to the other mixture as it is on. this way it makes it fast and less messy to mix by hand....
then you heat up a skillet on med. and spay with pan spray, then pour in about 1/4 cup and pick up the pan and move pan around until mixtures spreads out evenly in the best circle that you can. Cook on both sides and then when all cooked you can do anything that your heart desires with them. (like Windy's enchiladas) or we also love fruit and cream cheese and cool whip and then eat for breakfast! YUM...

Posted by Becca: Oct 1st 2008