Tortellini Soup

One of my friends reposted this recipe from facebook, from Point of Grace's page. We made it tonight and it was out of this world.This isn't a regular posting where I post a bunch of photos. Just the main one. And I think it does the job.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 stalks, celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion diced
• 10 oz box frozen spinach (unthawed)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cans water
• 32 oz. chicken broth
• Family size package of cheese or chicken tortellini, half cooked (I used Buitoni)

Directions

1. Put olive oil in the bottom of a large soup/stock pan.
2. Saute' garlic, celery, carrots and onions until tender.
3. Add frozen spinach. Break up blocks of spinach as you cook.
4. Continue to saute' until spinach thaws, then heats up.
5. Add cream of chicken soup and water.
6. Add chicken broth and then add tortellini.
7. Heat and Serve.

"Fried" Pickles with Cilantro Garlic Aioli

Justin found a recipe duo on Pinterest that we were compelled to try. The original post is here: Cilantro Garlic Ranch and Fried Pickles. The reason we renamed the recipe to "Fried Pickles with Cilantro Garlic Aioli" is because we wanted to put the focus on the main event (aka the pickles) rather than the dipping sauce. Also, there is nothing "fried" about this dish - the pickles are broiled. The dipping sauce was improvised a bit; we used mayonaise and milk, so it came out more like an aioli rather than a ranch dressing. We also did not have any buttermilk on hand, so we used regular 2% milk mixed with lemon juice. Here is our recipe and instructions.

Ingredients for "Fried" Pickles

• 2 (24 oz.) jars of dill pickle slices (we used Claussen)
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp. hot sauce (we used Frank's)
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 cups panko bread crumbs

Directions for "Fried Pickles"

1. Drain pickle slices and place on a paper towel-lined dish to absorb excess moisture. This step is important or your batter won't stick to the pickle.
2. Whisk together eggs, flour, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, & black pepper until it forms a batter.
3. Put panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish.
4. Dunk each pickle slice in the batter and then coat with panko bread crumbs.
5. Place coated pickle slices on a raised rack over a cookie sheet.
6. Set oven to broil, and put the cookie sheet of pickles in the center of the oven. Broil for approximately 2½ to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
7. Serve hot or cooled. Both are acceptable, depending on preference.

Ingredients for Cilantro Garlic Aioli

• 1 cup 2% milk + 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
• 2 cups mayonnaise (we used the Helman's with Olive Oil)
• Generous handful of Cilantro (more or less if you like... personal preference)
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic
• Salt + Pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced

Directions for Cilantro Garlic Aioli

1. Set milk and lemon juice aside to curd, approximately 5 - 10 minutes
2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (we used our Magic Bullet).
3. Pulse until well-blended and larger chunks are gone.
4. It is a good idea to taste the mixture and add more of the above ingredients. We LOVE Cilantro, so we put in a good amount.
5. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before you want to serve.
6. Once chilled, serve with the "fried" pickles, and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Pictures

Some of the ingredients.


Mixing the batter.


Pickles & panko bread crumbs.


Paper towel-lined dish with pickle slices.


Ready to assemble pickle slices!


Dip then coat.


Coated pickles ready to go into the oven.


1st side is broiled.


Flipped and back in the oven to broil again.


Both sides broiled.


Serve with the Cilantro Garlic Aioli.


Close-up of the platter.


Close-up of a pickle. So yummy!

9 Layer Taco Dip

This dip is such a hit at parties, that it is the most requested dish for us to bring. It's easy to make, and really yummy!  This is probably good to serve about 20+ people, if used as an appetizer.

Ingredients

• 2 (16 oz.) cans refried beans
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 Taco Seasoning packets (I actually use our homemade Taco Seasoning, recipe here)
• 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese (I used fat free) - softened
• 1 (16 oz.) container sour cream (I used fat free)
• 1 (16 oz.) jar salsa (I used Southwest Style)
• 1 (16 oz.) package guacamole (I used “Wholly Guacamole”)
• 1 (16 oz.) bag shredded lettuce
• 1 (2 cups) bag of any Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
• 1 (14.4 oz.) can sliced black olives
• At least 2 bags Tostitos scoops

Directions

1. Cook ground beef, drain fat, mix 1 Taco Seasoning packet (or 2 Tbsp of homemade mix) + ¾ cup water. Let cool.
2. In a large aluminum tray, use spoon to spread refried beans.
3. Add cooled ground beef mixture, spread evenly.
4. Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream together. Add other Taco Seasoning packet (or 2 Tbsp of homemade mix) and mix well. Spread cheese/sour cream mixture over beef.
5. Spread guacamole over cheese/sour cream mixture.
6. Spread salsa over guacamole.
7. Spread lettuce over salsa.
8. Spread cheese over lettuce.
9. Spread olives over cheese.
10. Serve with Tostitos scoops.
11. Enjoy!

Pictures

Ingredients


Refried beans and ground beef. We actually did this step the night before. It's much easier to add the remaining layers when the beans and meat are chilled.


Cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning.


More layering.


Guacamole dollops over the cream cheese mixture.


Guacamole spread evenly.


Salsa spread over the quacamole.


Lettuce sprinkled over the salsa layer.


Cheese sprinkled over the lettuce. So. Much. Cheese.


And lastly, the olives!

Breakfast Fritatta

I love making frittatas. It's a fantastic breakfast that is tasty & filling. You can add any combination of cheese, meat & vegetables you like. As long as your base is eggs, onion, and a flour/baking powder mixture, the sky's the limit with the different outcomes. Today, I made mine with fresh spinach and cheddar cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach, chiffonade
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Sauté onion over medium-high heat until onion is translucent. Set aside.
4. Combine flour, parsley, baking powder and garlic powder in medium bowl and mix well. Stir in beaten eggs.
5. Layer spinach, onion, cheese and eggs in the baking dish. Continue layering until all ingredients are used.
6. In same pan where you sautéed onion, melt butter. Once melted, add bread crumbs and mix well. Sprinkle on top of baking dish.
7. Bake frittata until set, about 30 to 35 minutes
8. Enjoy!

Pictures

Ingredients


Sautéed onion.


Chiffonade Spinach.


Starting to layer.


More layering.


Melted butter + panko bread crumbs.


Ready to go in the oven!


Finished! I used the broiler at the end to brown the bread crumbs.


Perfect serving!


Cut in half - you can see the layers!


Yummy bite!

Corn and Pancetta Salsa

This is a recipe my Mother-in-law found, after having a wonderful dish called "Bay Scallops with Corn and Pancetta Salsa". The recipe is found here. She has made it a few times, without the scallops, as a wonderful salsa-based snack with tortilla chips. Here is the modified recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces chopped pancetta
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon jarred jalapeño slices, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (16 oz.) package frozen corn, thawed
• Salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high, saute the pancetta until lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a medium bowl.
2. Stir in the onion, jalapeños, lemon juice, corn and cilantro.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pictures

Ingredients.


Pancetta. Look how beautiful this meat is.


Ready to chop.


Chopped!


Beautifully cooked!


Everything mixed and ready to eat!


Close-up. It's so colorful!


Serve on tortilla chips.