Southwest Taco Soup

from: Favorite Family recipes

3 chicken breasts

Valentina hot sauce

2 cans chicken broth

3 cans Italian stewed tomatoes

1 bunch cilantro, with the stems removed

salt to taste

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans sweet corn, drained and rinsed

Stick the chicken breasts in a crock pot and smother with Valentina hot sauce. Cook on high for three hours or until you can shred up the chicken with a fork. Add the chicken broth. Blend the stewed tomatoes until smooth then add the cilantro and pulse a few times. Add the tomato mixture to the crock pot, then the corn and black beans and salt. Let cook for about 1 more hour.

This soup is different than most Taco soups I've tried. It's lite and fresh.

Pumpkin Crumble

Easy Pumpkin Crumble
Recipe by Our Best Bites

I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie but love pumpkin so this is a great substitute. SO GOOD!!!

1 boxed yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping

*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. That's because I like a high topping-to-pumpkin ratio. If you'd like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it's in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.


Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you're putting on. Here's why:

Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You'll have 3 distinct layers now:

Here's the trick: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you'll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top.

Bake at 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so

Creamy Tomato Soup

From: Our Best Bites

1 T real butter
1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
1 T minced garlic
1 tea sugar
¼ tea pepper
¼ tea salt
4 Fresh Basil leaves plus some for garnish (or substitute 1-2 t dried basil, see note below)
1/2 C sliced sun-dried tomatos, packed in oil with herbs
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, shredded carrot, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.

2. Add sugar, pepper, and salt and cook 2 more minutes. Then add sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and 4 basil leaves.


If you're substituting dried basil, the rule of thumb is 1/3 part dried herb = 1 part fresh so for this recipe you can eyeball it, but I'm guessing you'd want to add about 1-2 t dried basil

3. Stir to combine and finally add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat, and simmer 30-40 minutes.

4. Remove from heat. Place soup in blender (do this in 2 batches if necessary). Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, but place a paper towel over opening in blender lid to avoid splatters. Process for a couple of minutes until very smooth.

I added some red pepper flakes, and loved it!

Fresh Pasta

2 LG. freshly picked tomatoes (diced)
1/4 chives (thinly diced) (optional)
1 C. Fresh Mozzarella (the fattier the better:)(small cubes)
2 TBS basil (dried basil 1 TBS)
1 TBS butter
1 lb pasta
salt and pepper to taste

cook pasta according to box and drain. While pasta is hot, add rest of the ingredients and serve. This is definitely a summer meal, the fresh ingredients is what makes it so flavorful!

Pasta with chicken sausage and broccoli

from: Real Simple

12 ounces rigatoni (about 4 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, sliced

6 ounces fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced

1 head broccoli, cut into florets and stems sliced

1/4 grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta accordingtothe package directions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and 1 1/4 cups water and simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the sausage mixture and any remaining liquid and the Parmesan.

Salsa Recipe (for canning)

from: Debbie McAllister

10 qts. tomatoes, peeled and quartered
3 qts. chopped peppers (3 green bell, 3 red bell, 4 Anaheim, 8 yellow, 6 jalapenos)
2 red hot peppers, dropped whole into batch ( I don't add these if the jalapenos are super hot)
1 qt. chopped celery
4 onions
2 tsp. paprika
6 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 C. sugar
2 T. Pepper
1 C. vinegar
1/3-1/2 C. salt
4 tsp cumin, if desired

Chop all vegetables and measure. Put everything into a pot and cook until soft and simmer until the desired thickness.

Helpful hints: wear gloves when chopping peppers. If you are going to finely chop/pureed tomatoes in a food processor you don't need to peal the tomatoes (this saves a lot of time). Save some jalapenos seeds, after salsa has cooked a little while taste it, if it needs more of a kick add seeds.

Summer Berry Crisp

taken from: Williams Sonoma, Essentials of Baking

Filling:

5 cups berries (blueberries or mixed berries - I use blackberries)

1/2 t cinnamon

3-5 T granulated sugar

(I also add 1-2T of lemon juice)

Topping:

1 cup ap flour

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup firm packed brown sugar

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Stir together the berries, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice until well mixed. Pour into greased 2 1/2 qt. baking dish and set aside

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Then stir in the melted butter until evenly moistened crumbs form. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over the filling.

Bake at 350 the crisp until the juices are bubbling and the top is a golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, but the crisp is best served warm. Delicious served with ice cream!

Variations:

You can use several types of fruit for the filling:

Apple or pear crisp:

Use 6 cups chopped, peeled apples or pears, 2 T sugar, 1 T lemon juice, 1/2 t cinnamon

Top and bake as directed above.

Peach crisp:

Use 6 cups chopped, peeled peaches and 3-4 T sugar.

Top and bake as directed above.