RECIPES!

Rustic Potato Soup with Cheddar and Green Onions

Prep time: 35 min 

Start to Finish: 35 min

2 servings

1-1/2 cups water

1 lb unpeeled russet potatoes

1 cup fat-free milk

1 tsp butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

4 medium green onions, chopped

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1. In 2 qt sauce pan, heat water to boiling. Meanwhile cut potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes; add to boiling water. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 5-7 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes well; reserve 1 cup potatoes. Place remaining potatoes (about 1-1/2 cup) in blender. Add 1/2 cup milk. Cover; blend until smooth, adding additional milk if needed. Return blended mixture to saucepan.

3. Add reserved 1 cup potatoes, remaining 1/2 cup milk, the butter, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup onions and 1/3 cup cheese to sauce pan. Cook over medium heat 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until soup is hot and cheddar is melted.

4. Serve in two bowls, topping with remaining onions and cheese.

Shrimp, Pepper and Rice Soup

Prep time: 35 minutes

Start to Finish: 50 minutes

2 servings

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1 Tbs butter (do not use margarine)

1 cup water

1/4 tsp seafood seasoning

2 Tbs apple juice

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1-1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 tsp thyme

3/4 lb cooked deveined peeled large shrimp, thaw if frozen, tail shells removed

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

1. In 10 inch skillet, cook rice in butter over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until rice is golden. Stir in water and seafood seasoning. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 30-35 minutes or until rice is almost tender and mixture is creamy.

2. Meanwhile, in 2 qt sauce pan, cook apple juice, onion and garlic over medium-high head 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. 

3. Stir cooked rice into seafood mixture. Cook about 5 minutes stirring occasionally, until rice is tender.

Southwest Herb Flank Steak

Prep time: 10 minutes

Start to Finish: 40 minutes

2 servings

1/2 lb beef flank steak

1/2 cup chopped Roma tomatoes

2 Tbs lime juice

1 Tbs cilantro

2 tsp fresh oregano

1/8 tsp salt

1. Make cuts abut 1/2 inch apart ad 1/4 inch deep into diamond pattern in both sides of beef; place in large resealable bag. 

2. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; spoon over beef. Seal bag. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

3. Set oven to broil. Spray broiler pan rack with cooking spray. Place beef on rack in broiler pan; brush with liquid from bag. Reserve tomatoes. Broil with top of beef 4-6 inches from heat for 8-12 minutes, turning once. 

4. With slotted spoon, spoon tomatoes onto beef; discard remaining liquid. Broil 3-5 minutes longer until tomatoes are lightly browned. Cut beef diagonally across grain into thin slices.

*This recipe goes great with a side of fresh green beans and red bell pepper strips sauteed in oil. 

No-Bake Cheesecake Pie

**By the time we did our Christmas Eve shopping, some of the ingredients for this recipe were no longer available...so I improvised. I will put my improvisation in parenthesis. 

1 cup vanilla or white chips (1 - 4 oz - toll-house white chocolate baking bar)

2 packages - 8 oz each - cream cheese, cubed

1 carton - 8 oz - whipped topping, thawed

1 graham cracker crust

1/3 cup English toffee bits or almond brickle chips (1 package of caramel chips)

In a heavy saucepan, melt chips over medium-low heat; stir until smooth (mix white chocolate bar with 1/2 cup caramel chips, it will not become smooth, but melt down the caramel until as smooth as you can). Remove from heat; stir in cream cheese until smooth (this will cause caramel to harden, so break it up into small pieces as you mix in the cream cheese). Fold in whipped topping. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate over night or until set. Just before serving, sprinkle with toffee bits (caramel chips).

Four-cheese Baked Ziti

Yields: 12 servings, but will be gone in two sittings!!

1 package (16 oz) ziti or small tube pasta

2 cartons (10 oz each) refrigerated Alfredo sauce (we found it with the cheeses)

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 carton (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup parsley

1-3/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package; drain and return to the pan. Stir in Alfredo sauce and sour cream. Spoon half into a lightly greased 3 qt baking dish.

2. Combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan, Romano and parsley; spread over pasta. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.

3. Cover and back at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly.

Hashbrown Casserole

1 bag Southern Homestyle hashbrowns, thawed 2-3 hours

2 can cream of chicken soup

16 oz sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese

2 cups saltine cracker crumbs (one bag)

1 stick butter

salt/pepper

Mix cream of chicken, sour cream, cheddar cheese and salt/pepper, in a large mixing bowl. Add hashbrowns, mix and stir. Put in 9X13 baking dish, and cover with cracker crumbs. Melt butter and pour over cracker crumbs. Bake 350 for 45 minutes. 

Bingo Bars

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

4 cup special K cereal

1 Tbs vanilla extract

1-1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

12 oz butterscotch bits

6 oz chocolate chips

Combine sugar, corn syrup in sauce pan, bring to boil and remove from heat. Add cereal, vanilla, and peanut butter. Stirring well, put mix into 10X15 in jelly roll pan. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch. Spread over bars. Cut when cool. 

Peanut Butter Pie9 

9 inch frozen pie crust

1 package vanilla pudding

8 ounces whipped topping (thawed)

4 Tbs peanut butter

4 Tbs powdered sugar (more if needed)

- Bake pie crust, fork sides and bottom first, then bake as directed. Let cool.

- Mix pudding, follow directions on package. 

- Mix peanut butter and powdered sugar with a fork until little balls form and all peanut butter is covered.

- Put peanut butter mix in the bottom of pie crust, cover with vanilla pudding. Add whipped topping to the top and sprinkle with a little peanut butter mix. 

- Refrigerate for 4 hours or over night.