Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

from Kraft Foods

I love the flavor in this easy slow cooker meal. The recipe calls for it to be eaten over rice but I love it wrapped in tortillas too, especially lightly fried corn tortillas.

Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 Tbsp. (1/2 of 1 ¼ oz. pkg) Taco Seasoning Mix
2 Tbsp. flour
1 each green and red pepper, cut into 1” wide strips
1 cup frozen corn or 1 can corn
1-1/2 cups Salsa
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese

TOSS chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in all remaining ingredients except the shredded cheese; cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours).

STIR just before serving. Top with the shredded cheese. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

Makes 4 servings

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup

4 cups chicken broth
½ (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup chopped onion ++
1/4 cup chopped celery ++
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ pinch ground white pepper
1 cup milk
2 T + 2 t cornstarch (or inst. potatoes)
2 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups fresh broccoli florets, cooked
¾ cup shredded American cheese
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In large saucepan, combine broth, cream of mushroom soup, onion, celery and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (If not cooked already, start your broccoli cooking.)

After 20 minutes, add milk to the cream mixture and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
Gradually add mixture to soup, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add broccoli and cheeses, mixing until melted.

If you want, you can add extras like shredded carrots, chopped potatoes, etc. or substitute some for the celery.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

from McCormick Spices

This cheesecake was so easy to make and was very tasty. And, as you can see, it is pretty! As not a super big fan of chocolate, I might try it with a regular graham cracker crust next time, but it was still good with the chocolate crust.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 eggs
2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon Red Food Color
1 prepared chocolate crumb crust (6 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed just until blended.
2. Measure 1 cup batter into medium bowl. Stir in melted chocolate and food color. Pour into crust. Top with remaining (plain) cheesecake batter.
3. Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
Can drizzle with chocolate before serving.

Spicy African Yam Soup

from AllRecipes.com

We have eaten a lot of soup recently and most of it has been very delicious. I was honestly not expecting this soup to be very good when I found the recipe. I just searched for a recipe that used sweet potatoes and zucchini (which we had and needed to use up) and this was one of the few results. Honestly I was shocked there were any of that weird combination. We are not big eaters of either of these vegetables so I started this soup with very low expectations. Compound this with a few bad experiences with peanut butter in soup and it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Surprise! It was tasty and delicious and even Jeran liked it. I just love cumin.

Also this was the recipe that caused me to discover that garbanzo beans are the same as chick peas. And they are delicious. It ends up being like a tasty vegetable chili. Enjoy.

Spicy African Yam Soup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chunky salsa
1 (15.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained (aka chick peas)
1 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup cooked rice
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1. Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Saute onion, sweet potato, and garlic until onion is soft. Turn down heat if necessary to prevent burning.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in salsa, garbanzo beans and zucchini. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the cooked rice and peanut butter until the peanut butter has dissolved. Serve hot with pita chips and a green salad.

Can add some ginger and paprika if you want.

Creamy Cucumber Dill Toasties

from AllRecipes.com

These tasty little bites are perfect for parties, snacks, or just using up those cucumbers in the fridge. We have had them on crackers when we didn't have baguettes.

Creamy Cucumber Dill Toasties

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ - 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian dressing mix
¼ - ½ cup mayonnaise
1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick circles
1 cucumber, sliced
2 teaspoons dried dill weed

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, dressing mix and mayonnaise.
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on a slice of bread, and top with a slice of cucumber. Sprinkle with dill. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Clam Chowder

from AllRecipes.com

Not the healthiest soup with the butter and cream base, but it is a very nice creamy, tasty chowder. Clams are so easy!

My Best Clam Chowder

3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste
bacon (optional)

Pour juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water if necessary to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Butternut Squash Bisque

from Better Homes and Gardens

This delicious soup is so very rich and nutritious. It is a creamy, smooth soup that makes excellent leftovers. If you don't have an immersion blender, pour some of it into a blender or food processor. We had it topped with mozzarella cheese instead of Gouda and it was marvelous!

Butternut Squash Bisque

Ingredients

1 2-1/2- to 3-lb. butternut squash or 3, 12-oz. pkgs. frozen cooked winter squash, thawed

1/4 cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 large Braeburn or Gala apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 48-oz. box reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

3 oz. smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Crumbled cooked bacon, celery leaves, and/or shaved Gouda cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Peel, seed, and cube butternut squash. In 6-qt. Dutch oven melt butter over medium-high heat. Add fresh squash (if using frozen squash add with apples and broth), onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add apples, broth, cider, and peppers. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables and apples are tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2. When slightly cooled, puree in pot using an immersion blender. (Or puree in batches in a blender; return soup to saucepan.) Blend in sour cream. Heat through. Remove from heat; stir in shredded Gouda until melted. Top with bacon, celery leaves, and/or Gouda cheese. Makes 8 servings.