Chicken Tortellini Stew

This was absolutely fantastic.  I'm not kidding.  Ridiculously healthy, less than an hour to make, and delicious!  I got this recipe courtesy of my husband's MSgt.  An excellent choice!

Ingredients:
   2 packages of cheese tortellini
   4 Chicken Breasts
   1 large bag of baby spinach
   1 can of Progresso Tomato Soup
   8 Cups of Chicken Broth
   2 pinches of salt
   Oregano
   Basil
   Thyme
   Sage
   Ground Coriander Seed
   Pepper
   Creole
   1-2 triangles of parmesan cheese (grate it yourself, so good)


Directions:
   1)  Grill or Skillet-Cook the chicken.  Then chop up into 1 inch or so chunks.
   2)  Mix tomato soup and chicken broth together.  Add chicken.  Set to boil.
   3)  Put tortellinis into broth.  Cook for 12-13 minutes until Al Dente.
   4)  Add Spinach.  Bring to simmer, cook until spinach is 'done'.
   5)  Grate Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle cheese over served dish.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

You can make your own noodles if you like, I'll put that recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:
   Noodles of some sort
  Chicken with bones
  Basil
  Oregano
  Lemon
  Pepper
  Salt
  Creole
  Thyme
  Coriander

Directions:
  1) Put chicken into a large pot.  Add water.  Add seasonings.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook for two hours.  After two hours, check to see if chicken is done.  If chicken can be removed from bones, do so and put chicken in a bowl.  Re-add bones to broth and boil until you reach the flavor you desire.  Remove bones from water and dispose after reaching desired flavor strength.
  2)  Add chicken to broth, add any vegetables you wish.  15-20 minutes before it is time to serve, add noodles.  Voila!  Homemade chicken noodle soup!



Egg Noodle Recipe
Ingredients:
  1 C Flour
  1 Egg
  1 Pinch of salt

Directions:
  1)  Beat egg thoroughly, add salt, then slowly add flour.  Eventually you will have to mix by hand, so add some oil to your hands if you want to avoid sticky mess.
  2)   Lay some wax paper down, add a bit of flour over the wax paper, and then roll the dough out to a thin consistency.  Slice into desired noodle length and width, then let dry.  After it is dry, you can add it to boiling water and cook for 15 minutes.

Homemade Mac&Cheese

Normally there is a picture here... but I completely spaced and forgot to take one.  So, the next time I make this dish, I'll remember to take a picture and add it in, I promise!



Ingredients: 
   Pasta (My kids love shells, but use whatever)
   Shredded Cheddar
   Shredded Italian Cheeses
   Flour
   Butter
   Milk



Directions:

  1).  Boil pasta.  Remember to add a little oil to the boiling water, or your noodles will get REALLY sticky.
  2.)  Remove pasta into a strainer, leave there for now.  Put pot back onto stove, melt 2-3 tbs of butter.  Add just enough flour to create a paste.  Add 1/2 cup milk.
  3.)  Add noodles, stir together.  Now begin adding cheeses, a little bit at a time. Stir well, the cheese melts fast.  Once you get the amount of cheese you want, remove from heat, and serve! 


Note:  We like adding a bit of garlic and pepper, but this is great without spices too!

Roast Beef

 

Ingredients:

     2-3lbs of Roast

     Baby Carrots

     Yukon Gold Potatoes

     1/2 lb Bacon

     Minced Garlic

     Parsley

     Oregano

     Thyme

     Sea Salt

     Black Pepper

     Red Wine

     Oil (I use Grapeseed or Coconut)

     Butter

     Flour

Directions:

  1.)   Remove the roast from packaging.  Dry it of excess liquid using a paper towel.  Try to make it really dry on the outside.  Put some oil in a large skillet. (I use a cast iron skillet).  Season all sides of the roast.  Be liberal with the salt, rub it in.  Seasonings to go on roast are salt, pepper, parsley.  Put into skillet, and sear all sides.  I do mean ALL sides.  Remove from skillet, and put into roasting pan (fat side UP).

  2.)  Add generous amount of minced garlic to skillet (including liquid, if possible.  If you don't have  a jar of minced garlic, then add a little water.)  Once the steam dies down a bit, add carrots.  Season with Thyme, Oregano, and Pepper.  Cook carrots in skillet for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Also slice up potatoes while doing this, and lay around the roast.  I slice them to look like they will be scalloped, as I think it makes them soak up more flavor.  Add carrots on top of the potatoes.

  3.)  Pour a bit of red wine into the skillet and 'scrape' the skillet.  You want to get as much of the seasoning and flavor out of that pan as possible while on low heat.  Once you've gotten it as best you can, pour the contents over the roast and vegetables.

  4.)  Preheat oven to 310 degrees. Cut your bacon in half, then in half again.  You don't have to cook them completely, just enough to start curling.  Then add most of it over the roast, and toss a few on the veggies.  Cover Roasting Pan.

  5.)  Place Roasting Pan in oven for a minimum of 90 minutes, but 2 hours is preferable.  After cooking, remove meat and veggies into another dish.  Take a 3tbs of butter and melt in a saucepan.  Add enough flour to make a Roux.  Then pour the liquid from the roast into the sauce pan.  Stir liberally at medium high heat.  Sauce will thicken.  Serve food up, pour on the sauce, and VOILA!

FYI:  The reason you put the fat side up on this is because the fat 'melts' and keeps the roast moist as it cooks.  This is also why I said to put most of the bacon on top of the roast, as it allows the bacon fat to flavor the roast while it cooks.  Absolutely DELICIOUS.

Pork Beer Stew

1-3 lbs of meat (pork loin is what I use)
Grapeseed oil (or substitute with whatever oil/fat you want)
garlic
salt
pepper
oregano
basil
rubbed sage
carrots
green beans
northern white beans
potatoes
1 cup Deglazing liquid (beer, wine, etc)
3 cups Water/Broth

1. Heat oil in skillet (i prefer cast iron).  Cut your meat into bite sized chunks.  Season chunks, then brown in skillet.
2. Put meat in pot you will be cooking in.  (Need large pot, btw)
3. Add carrots and green beans to skillet.  Season well, stirring around in oil and seasonings for 3-5 minutes. Add to pot.
4. add white beans to skillet.  More oil (tsp at most) may be needed.  season well.  3-5 minutes of stirring, then add to pot.
5. Add deglazing liquid and the water/brother.  Stir well, turn heat to 'high'.  Once the soup boils well, bring the heat down to a simmer, and leave simmering for 2 hours, stir occasionally.

The stew should be thickening up on its own at the simmering heat, but if it isn't as thick as you'd like you can 'cheat'.  1/4 cup a milk with a bit of cornstarch will thicken it right up, and give it a creamy color/texture.

30 minutes before service, cover and turn the heat off.  Soup can be brought to room temperature and store in the fridge (tastes even better the next day)