Simple Recipes

Anytime I post what I’m having for dinner as my Facebook status, my friends show interest. Here I will give more recipes and pictures of my usual simple meals, as well as successful experiments!

Please note that for the most part, I do not cook by measurement. I just put in what I feel like and what I have on hand. I have given approximate measurements and you should adjust to taste.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4-5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 30-32 oz can chicken broth
2 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
Juice of 2 limes
2 cup chunky salsa
Broken tortilla chips
Shredded cheese (I like monterrey jack or any mexican blend)
Sour cream

1.Place the onions into the bottom of the crock pot, then arrange the chicken in an even layer.
2.Put in lime juice, corn, broth, chili powder, salsa, cumin, oil, and garlic.
3.Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
4.Remove chicken and shred, then return to the crock.
5.Cook on high 15 minutes.
6.Break up some tortilla chips into individual bowls and pour soup over chips. Top with the shredded cheese and a little sour cream.

Pesto Chicken

boneless, skinless chicken breasts
bottle garlic and herb marinade (I prefer Winn Dixie Mojo)
basil pesto
sliced provolone cheese, cut in half

1.Slice chicken breasts horizontally, without slicing them completely in half. Open the chicken breasts like a book. Place chicken and marinade into a large resealable plastic bag or covered dish. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours (2 is perfect for me).
2.Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
3.Place opened chicken breasts in a baking dish. Put 2 tsp of pesto on one half of each chicken breast. Top pesto with 4 halves of provolone and fold over other half of chicken (if necessary, fasten with toothpicks soaked in water).
4.Cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn chicken, and cook 15 minutes more.

Eat and enjoy! I serve this with steamed veggies.

Corn and Sausage Bisque

1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage (I prefer Conecuh)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
4 cups milk
2 cups cubed potatoes, cooked, drained
Chopped parsley (optional)
Shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Cut sausage into 1/2 inch chunks, brown lightly over medium heat.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper; cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
3. Add milk. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add corn and sausage; return to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cooked potatoes; heat through.
5. Top each serving with parsley and cheese, if desired.

Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or turkey, if you prefer. also worth noting is that I sometimes either 1lb or 2lb and adjust other ingredients accordingly)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Italian bread crumbs (if I don’t have any, I substitute crushed Ritz crackers)
1/2 cup milk
steak sauce (I use a generic A1, not the Heinz 57 variety. blech.)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper (any color)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan. (You don’t have to use a loaf pan, but I’m a traditionalist with these things. You can put it in any pan, or even make a mound on a baking sheet)
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, egg, black pepper, bread crumbs, milk, onion, green bell pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the steak sauce.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. (It works best if you use your (washed!) hands. A KitchenAid stand mixer would probably work too, with the right attachment.)
Place the mixture into the loaf pan and brush the top with more steak sauce.
Bake 1 hour. Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Pork & Peppers

Thin boneless pork chops, sliced into strips

3 Bell peppers (i use orange, red, and yellow), sliced thin

1 red onion, sliced thin

1 tbsp. minced garlic

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Pour in a skillet enough EVOO to coat and heat medium-high.
Put pork in, sprinkle on salt and pepper, and lightly brown.
Remove pork and set aside. Lower skillet to medium heat.
Dump in garlic, peppers, and onion. Saute until peppers are tender.
Put pork back in, along with the balsamic vinegar, another splash of olive oil, and the soy sauce. Bring to a boil.
Lower heat to low, cover, and let simmer until pork is done (15 minutes or so should do it).

Serve over rice!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

2 cups cooked rice (we use whole grain Minute Rice)

3 bell peppers, halved and seeded (whatever colors you prefer)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 tomato, diced (we use canned a lot)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Place the peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender and skin starts to brown.
While the peppers are roasting, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon in the cooked rice, and stir until heated through. Remove from heat, mix in the feta cheese, and spoon the mixture into the pepper halves.
Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Crescent Chicken

3 or 4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (about 2 cups)

1 c. shredded cheese (I like cheddar)

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. milk

1. Combine chopped chicken with shredded cheese in a bowl.

2. Separate the crescent dough into the 8 pre-scored triangles

3. Place a scoop of chicken mixture onto the center of the dough.

4. Roll/pinch the dough edges around the chicken, forming a “pod.”

5. Place all pods into a casserole dish.

6. Combine soup and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and nuke for 2 minutes.