Easy Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is a quick one and the end results are delicious to the taste!

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 t pumpkin pie spice mix
1/2 C applesauce (I used some of my pear puree sauce)
Chocolate chips (optional). I used a variety of white, milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease muffin pans with crisco.

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Spoon even amounts into greased muffins pans.

Bake 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

White Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies

My husband requested chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips and this recipe fit the bill.  These cookies are delicious and are great with a glass of milk.

Ingredients:

1 C unsalted Butter at room temperature
1 C white sugar
3/4 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 C cocoa powder
1 3/4 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 C white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large bowl cream together butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffly.
Add eggs one at a time beating well.
Combine cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder and gradually stir into creamed mixture.
Fold in white chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet
Bake 8-10 min in preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet 10 min before moving them to a cookie rack.

*Another delicious addition to these cookies is to put some chocolate Cadbury Eggs (they have the white chocolate edition and also the original chocolate kind) in the mix along with the white chocolate chips,  we may just make this an Easter tradition in our home!

Tortellini Sausage Soup

A yummy recipe from ourbestbites.com.  This soup is tasty, the apple cider vinegar gives the soup a little zing.  I adjusted the recipe to 1/4 C vs 1/2 C to better fit my families taste.

Ingredients:

1-2 C Sausage 

4 cloves garlic

1 onion

1/2 C water 

2 1/2 C chicken broth

1/4 C apple cider vinegar 

16 oz diced tomatoes (I blend mine up)

8 oz tomato sauce 

1 C sliced carrots

1 t basil

1 t oregano

1-2 medium zucchini finely chopped

10 oz cheese tortellini

2 T dried parsley 

Directions:

My sausage was precooked and I chopped into bite size pieces 

Chop onion and add to pot with garlic and drizzle of olive oil.  Continue to cook until onion becomes translucent.

Add water, chicken broth, apple cider, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, basil and oregano.  Cover and simmer 1/2 hr.

Add parsley and zucchini and simmer another 15 min.

Add tortellini and cook until tender.  Enjoy!

* I added some fresh chopped spinach to the bottom and of soup bowl and poured the hot soup on top.  It was delicious .  I also added in some yellow and orange peppers to my soup which added to the delicious taste.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A recipe from allrecipes.com.  Soup is a tasty, wonderful meal for a winter day.

Ingredients:

4 C chicken broth
2 C water

1 cooked, boneless chicken, chopped

1 (4.5 oz) package quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet

1/2 t salt and pepper

3/4 T flour

1/2 C butter

1 C cream

1 C milk

Directions: 

1.  In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.

2.  In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

3.  Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Instructions Checklist

Mulligatawny Soup

This recipe came from allrecipes.com.  It's another soup to add to the recipe book.

Ingredients:

1/2 C onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1/4 C butter

1 T flour

2 t curry powder

4 C chicken broth

1/2 C apple, cored and chopped

1/4 C rice

1 skinless, boneless chicken, cubed

salt and black pepper to taste

1 pinch dried thyme

1/2 C heavy cream, heated

Directions:

Saute onions, celery, carrots and butter in large soup pot.  Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes.  Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to boil.  Simmer 1/2 hour.

Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme.  Simmer 15-20 min, until rice is done.

When serving, add hot cream.

White Chicken Chili

This is a recipe from ourbestbites.com.  This chili turned out great and we would make it again. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive Oil (or non-stick spray)

1 pound boneless chicken, cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans Great Northern Beans

1 3.5 oz can green chilies

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

fresh cracked pepper

1 lime

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

16 ounces chicken broth

For the Condiments:

Sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt

Chopped cilantro

Pepperjack or Jack cheese, shredded

Avocado

Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water and set aside.

Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there’s no more visible pink on the chicken 3-5 min. Then add green chills (I blend my chilis in a food processor)

Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth (16 oz more or less to your liking). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the 1/2 C chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with toppings.

Makes about 8 cups of soup.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This was a delicious soup a mild lemon flavor.  This recipe is a keeper!

Ingredients:

16 oz orzo pasta
1 t olive oil
4-5 carrots, chopped
4 ribs, celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
5-6 C chicken broth
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
1 C cooked chicken breast, chopped
1 (8 oz) package of baby spinach leaves
1 lemon, slices for garnish (optional)

Directions: 

 Step 1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water until partially cooked through but not yet soft, about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water until cooled completely.

 Step 2
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir carrots, celery, and onion in hot oil until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Season mixture with thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf; continue cooking another 30 seconds before pouring chicken broth into the pot.

 Step 3
Bring the broth to a boil. Partially cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.

 Step 4
Stir orzo, lemon juice, and lemon zest into the broth; add chicken. Cook until the chicken and orzo are heated through, about 5 minutes. Add baby spinach; cook until the spinach wilts into the broth and the orzo is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with lemon slices.

We omitted the spinach due to some dislikes in the family.  But my husband and I added chopped yellow and orange peppers along with yellow squash to our soup as a garnish and it was delicious.  The extra veggies bulked up the soup and flavor.