Spicy Chicken Soup

Kind of like taco soup, but a little creamier, and with chicken.  Serve with cheese and chips.  Ingredients list looks long, but it isn't as complicated as it looks.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 quarts water
2 cans chicken, or 3 cups shredded chicken
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
 
DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Add chicken, water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes
 
2. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, and sour cream. Simmer 30 minutes.

FOR THE CROCKPOT:  Throw it all in and cook on high 4-5 hours

Chocolate Scotcheroos

Peanut butter flavored Rice Krispie treats that are heavenly, chewy goodness!!  And actually much easier to make than the regular Rice Krispie treats.

INGREDIENTS


1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and corn syrup, and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter. Mix with the rice cereal until evenly coated. Press the mixture into the prepared pan.

3. In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips, stirring occasionally until smooth and well blended. Spread over the top of the bars. Chill until set (about 45 minutes), then cut into bars and store in airtight containter.

Homemade Oreos a.k.a. Whoopie Pies

Every small-town Mormon cookbook I have has this recipe (or one like it) at least twice...it's one of those "staples" and I love it!

Also good with a Red Velvet or Spice Cake Mix



INGREDIENTS

Cookies:
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, softened

Filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

2. Blend the cookie ingredients together with a pastry blender until mixed.

3. Roll in balls about the size of a quarter and place on ungreased baking sheets. Make an even number of balls.

4. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies stand on cookie sheet for 5-6 minutes before removing them to cooling rack. After cookies have cooled, put Cream Cheese Frosting (beat together the above frosting ingredients) between two cookies, putting bottom sides together.

Store in airtight container in the fridge

Pizza Rolls

I am not sure why I haven't done these before, maybe everyone knows how wonderful and these are, but I recently figured them out and am officially obsessed.  So easy, and so yummy, and definitely W.T.

INGREDIENTS:
1 can refrigerated pizza dough (you can also use a can of breadsticks dough)
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1 package pepperoni
shredded mozzerella

Optional:
melted butter
garlic powder
seasoned salt
parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees

2. Roll out pizza dough on cookie sheet and using pizza cutter, cut in half lengthwise, then in quarters (to make 8 "squares")

3. Spread sauce on each square, leaving about 1/2 inch on the edges

4. Place 3-4 pepperonis down the middle of each square, and a small handfull of cheese

5. Fold over dough squares and pinch the edges so everything is contained

6. OPTIONAL: Brush melted butter over each roll and sprinkle seasonings

7.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown

YUM!

Asparagas

Our favorite veggie.

And here is my favorite cooking suggestion:

Rinse asparagas and break off the ends
Line pan with foil, and layer the asparagas in it
Toss with olive oil
Sprinkle with your favorite spices (my personal favorite is a family friend's Secret Spice, but even salt and pepper works great!)
Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes until slightly crunchy, but tender (Temp isn't too important, typically, about 350, but I just throw it in with whatever else I'm cooking)

Enjoy!

You can also chop them up and fry in the skillet, but they don't tend to have the same perfect crunch.

Oriental Noodles

INGREDIENTS
1 package oriental noodles (or 2 packages ramen noodles without season packet)
2 tbls. olive oil
1/2 cup green onions chopped (can substitue regular onions)
1/2 cup chopped red or green peppers
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 tbls. soy sauce
1/2 cup sprouts

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring pot of water to a boil

2. Heat oil in skillet and fry onions, peppers and carrots so they are tender.  Add soy sauce

3. Throw noodles in boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes

4.  Drain noodles and add to skillet.  Mix and serve!

SUGGESTION: For a main course, add some cut up pork, steak or chicken to the mix.

Sweet and Sour Grub

My new favorite.  Kind of messy, but really easy, and so yummy!  I've done pork and chicken and they both are good.  Serve with rice or noodles.

Sweet and Sour Chicken and/or Pork

INGREDIENTS
4-5 pork chops or boneless chicken cut up into pieces (big chunks)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1-2 cups cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
Optional: garlic salt (to taste)

Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 cup pineapple or mandarin orange juice
1 tbls. soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in large skillet and preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Wisk eggs in bowl, set aside, and put cornstarch, flour and garlic in big Ziplock bag

3.  Place meat in eggs and coat entirely. 

4. Put meat in bag (I put it all in at once) and shake it up so they are all well covered

5. Using tongs, put the covered meat chunks in the oil and lightly brown (more like a golden color, only takes a minute or two)

6. Once lightly browned, but not cooked all of the way, place all of the meat in one layer in a pan lined with foil.

7.  Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a medium sauce pan until heated thoroughly

8.  Pour on meat and toss around

9. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, re-coating meat with the sauce half-way through

SUGGESTION:  If you want to make this as a freezer meal, use fresh meat (never frozen) do all of the above, except after browning the meat in the oil, put it in a bag.  Mix sauce, do not heat, put in seperate bag, and freeze.  When ready to cooke, throw it all in a crockpot on high for 3-4 hours