Cheeseburger soup

OMGGGGGGG so delicious!

1 lb ground beef ( I used ground chicken- can use any protein you like)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 onion diced
1 stalk celery diced
10-12 baby carrots diced
1 potato sliced into rounds then sticks then diced
2-3 teaspoons to taste of ground mustard OR 1/4 cup yellow mustard
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Italian seasoning
1/2 carton of beef broth
1/4 -1/2 cup Half and half

Brown ground protein- push to edges of pot
In the center add butter, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, salt pepper, 2-3 teaspoons of fresh garlic, and a palm full of Italian seasoning sauté until tender crisp
Mix in mustard powder or yellow mustard
Add broth
Simmer on low for 45-60 minutes until potatoes are soft
Add half and half until it is a rich yellow color- not too light and not too dark
Simmer 10 mins.

I served it with brown rice in the bottom of the bowl.

YUMEEE

Enjoy!

YUMEEEMAMA

Chicken Kale soup

OMG I made this over the weekend and couldn't be happier with the results.


two turns of olive oil

large handful of diced onions

large handful of diced carrots

large handful of diced celery

You can use roughly chopped if you prefer but will need 2 handfuls of each then

3 tablespoons of minced garlic

1 9oz package of grilled chicken strips

1/3 bag of kale

1 can of rotel diced tomatoes

48 oz of chicken broth

salt and pepper


add two turns of olive oil

add garlic

add onions, carrots and celery

saute tender crisp

add kale

saute a few mins until kale is bright green

add tomatoes

add chicken

add chicken broth

bring to a light boil and reduce heat

simmer on lo for 2-3 hours

Serve with orzo or pastina


Enjoy!!

Yumeeemama

Dawn

The perfect SOFT boiled egg

There are two ways to SOFT boil an egg.

1. Place eggs in pot. Cover 1 inch over the eggs. Boil water then turn off.
Remove eggs, cover pot for 5-6 mins (5 runny-6 thicker)
Run under cold water immediately then peel.

2. Fill a pot with water and bring to boil. GENTLY place eggs in boiling water. Turn to low for 5/6 mins. Remove immediately and run under cold water then peel.


Yumeee

Enjoy!

Dawn

Tomato Soup

2 stalks celery
5 carrot sticks
1/2 onion
4 large tomatoes
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp fresh garlic
1/4 cup italian seasoning
chunk of PARM CHEESE RIND


rough chop all veg add everything except tomatoes and cheese rind to pot
cook until tender crisp
add tomatoes
cook until all veg is soft

remove from stove

use an immersion blender to puree veg into soup

put back on stove top and add cheese rind. Cook for 15 more mins or longer to infuse the cheese taste as you like it.


YUMEEE

Enjoy!!

Dawn

Zucchini lasagna

Mama Maria posted a veg lasagna and I didn't even read the recipe, I just ran with the idea and made my own version.

1large zucchini sliced in even width lengthwise
1 cup sauce of your choosing
1/2 head broccoli chopped
1/4 green pepper
1/4 red pepper
1 large carrot sliced into even slices or shredded
1/4 small diced onion
1 small container of part skim ricotta cheese- or make your own- find my recipe on yumeeemama
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 egg
3 tbsp minced garlic
Bag of mozzarella cheese -will use 2/3

Sauté broccoli, peppers, carrots, onions and garlic until crisp tender.
Put into cheese cloth and drain liquid
Add to bowl with ricotta cheese and egg
Mix


Put 2 tblsp of sauce on bottom of pan
Layer zucchini then a layer of ricotta
Layer of zucchini
Layer of mozzarella cheese
Layer of zucchini
Layer of ricotta
Spread 2 tbsp sauce on top
Cover with mozzarella cheese
Bake 40 mins on 350

YUMEEE

Enjoy!!

Dawn

Protein soup

1lb stewing beef
Garlic minced
Handful of baby carrots cut or not - whichever you prefer
2 stalks of celery chopped in half moons
1/2 red onion julienned
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup farro
1/4 cup lentils
1 package tortellini of your choice - I used spinach and cheese
3 cans of LOW SALT BEEF broth.


If pieces of beef are large, cut into bite size pieces and salt and pepper one side.
Brown beef on both sides- if you like beef well then leave it in the pot the entire time. If you like it medium then take beef out of the pot after it is browned and set aside.
Add carrots, celery, and onions.
Sauté for 2 mins
Add 2 cans of beef broth and scrape any meat bits from bottom of pan
Add farro
Add lentils
Bring to a boil THEN
Cook for 7 mins
Add 3rd can of broth and tortellini
Cool 7 mins
(If you removed meat add it back in with the tortellini)


ENJOY!!

YUMEEE

Dawn

Homemade Sloppy Joe

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 small to medium pepper diced small

1 small red onion diced small

1/2 small can petite diced tomatoes

2 tsps brown sugar

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp tomato or veggie paste

salt and pepper

Brown the ground beef with garlic, onion and pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drain 95% of fat.

Add tomato paste and brown sugar and tomatoes.

Mix thoroughly until brown sugar is dissolved.

simmer for 5 mins.

Serve on potato rolls :)

Enjoy!!

YUMEEE

Dawn

Pancakes

Based on a recipe for lemon poppy seed pancakes found online


1 cup flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2-3tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (for thinning)

Mix all ingredients together. Add water to thin out batter but not too thin.


Add blueberries or mashed bananas if you wish.


I will never buy Box mix again. These were sooooo yumeee!!!!

Enjoy!

Yumeeemama

Dawn

Our Garden

This is our first harvest of the season. We have a balcony garden at our condo. It has been a challenge keeping a garden this way but this year so far is good.
They are micro tomatoes but there are MANY more tomatoes still growing. We have flowers on the eggplant plant and cucumber plant. We have TONS of basil and oregano as well. While we got 6 strawberries already, I think the plant will not produce more because of the downpours of rain. Perhaps they were over watered :( .
I am so excited that we are getting fruit/veg this year. Last year was sparse!

Do you have a garden? Where? What are YOU growing?

I will use the micro tomatoes in my beef stew tonight.

Yumeee

Enjoy!!

Dawn

Pork Lo Mein

Hey I just realized I never posted my lo mein recipe. OMG this is SOOOOOOO yumeee!! I could eat it everyday!

2-3 pork chops ( or chicken breasts or lb of stewing beef)
1/2 pack rice noodles
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1-2 cans chicken broth
2-3 tbsp fresh garlic
1 tsp fresh ground ginger
oil
salt
pepper

I like to use my wok but a regular pot is fine as well as long as it has a lid.

cut protein of choice into bite size chucks and brown in oil

remove from pot and set aside

add one turn of oil to pot

add garlic and ginger

This would be the time you can add veg if you want to--I have added broccoli or snow peas

when garlic and ginger are fragrant add soy sauce

add in rice noodles

add chicken broth enough to cover noodles

add protein back to pot

cover with lid until noodles are soft

SERVE

YUMEEE

ENJOY!!!

Dawn

Buffalo chicken risotto

1cup arrborito rice
2cans chicken broth
1-3 tbsp franks hot sauce
2-3 chicken breasts
2 tbsp butter
2 oz blue cheese crumbles
Olive oil
Salt
pepper
Garlic powder

Chicken
. Put salt pepper garlic on each breast on each side.
Add 2 tbsp oil to pan and brown chicken breasts
Remove from pan
Cut into cubes
Melt one tbsp butter and add 1 tbsp franks in a large bowl
Add cubes of chicken to butter and hot sauce and let marinate


Risotto

Add four turns of the pan of oil.
Add one cup of risotto and allow it to soak in oil
Brown risotto for a few minutes
Add enough broth to cover rice and cover
Add 1 tbsp franks hot sauce
Stirring every few minutes
Add one oz of blue cheese, mix in
When liquid is almost evaporated, add more to cover rice
Repeat this until rice is plumped up and tender --- about 25 mins

When rice is plump, add chicken and another oz of blue cheese is wanted ans another tbsp franks hot sauce if wanted.
Mix and serve!!!!

Yumeee


Enjoy!!!


Dawn

Ominvore Lasagna

There are quite a few steps in the prep of this but none too hard.

First, (usually the early morning of or day before) Make the gravy. YES, GRAVY. lol Gravy has meat in it.

Ingredients:

1 filet ( or beef of your choosing, stew beef, any steak you wish)
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb pork cubes cut in bite size pieces
1/4 each of sweet and hot sausage of your liking
2 tbsp garlic paste or chopped garlic
2 tbsp basil paste or a heavy dose of dry Italian seasoning
2 tbsp oregano paste (unless u are using Dry seasoning)
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium red onion
olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce ( I prefer tuttorosso :))


(I also add in meatballs that I had in the freezer)

In a large pot, add olive oil and brown pork cubes and filet( or beef cubes)
Move cubes to crock pot and brown ground beef
Move ground beef to crock and brown sausages
Move sausage to crock and put in meatballs if you are adding them
Add onions, garlic, basil and oregano pastes and salt and pepper to pot
saute until tender crisp
add onions mix into crock

add all tomatoes and stir
Allow to cook in crock for 4-6 hours, adjust flavor as time goes on. TASTE and add any seasoning you think needs to be added.


Day of:

Lasagna filling:

1 lb ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 thin julienned red onion
2 tbsp garlic, basil and oregano paste or good dose of dry seasoning
(any other Veg you wish to add)
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 bag shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh grated Locatelli parm

but two turns of olive oil in the saute pan
add onions, garlic, basil, oregano, salt pepper,and saute for about a minute then:
add carrots
add broccoli
add spinach
saute all veg until tender crisp
remove veg and put into a large bowl to cool.
When cooled, add ricotta and eggs
Mix well
I would also add dry garlic and Italian seasonings at this point too--that's just my preference, decide for you.


FINALLY:

Begin building lasagna
Put a layer of gravy on the bottom minus any meat
put in layer of oven ready noodles (WHAT A GOD SEND)
put a layer of cheese and veg mix
put meat and gravy on top or mix but go easy on the sauce part so its not too watery.
Put a layer of Mozzarella cheese
Put a layer of Parm cheese
continue building layers BUT make sure to end the top layer with parm cheese THEN Mozzarella

Bake in oven for one hour on 375. I like crispy edges so i dont cover mine in foil but if you DONT like crispy edges, cover the pan in foil

Remove from oven and let sit a good five mins before cutting


YUMEEE!!!!


ENJOY!!!

Dawn

TO DIE FOR CHICKEN

Thanks to blessthisfood.blogspot.com


http://blessthisfood.blogspot.com/2011/12/whole-chicken-in-crock-pot-with.html

ASIAN BONELESS RIBS

4 boneless ribs
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1/2 beef broth
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Salt pepper and garlic both sides of ribs.
Put them in the crock pot and add rest of ingredients.
Cook 6 hours on low.

I Served it over brown rice.

ENJOY!!!

YUMEEE!!!

Dawn

Chicken/Peach Salsa tortillas

4 pieces boneless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons peach salsa (I bought organic peach salsa from shoprite in ethnic aisle)
12 Flour tortillas
olive oil spray

Bake chicken for 23 mins on 325.

Let cool then shred with two forks.

Put a heaping spoonful of chicken mix on tortilla. Fold bottom and roll. Fold over the top. Spray top with oil spray. Lay on baking sheet. Bake on 425 for 6 mins. THEN FLIP them over and bake 3 more minutes.

Serve with sour cream and extra peach salsa.

YUMEEE

ENJOY!!!

Yumeeemama

The PERFECT hard boiled egg

My dad called me last night and asked me how long he should boil an egg for the PERFECT hard boiled egg. I told him I thought 15 mins but looked it up online and this is what I found:

Egg Size Degree of Doneness Time Required
Medium Soft-cooked yolk 3 minutes
Medium-cooked yolk 5 minutes
Hard-cooked yolk 12 minutes

Large Soft-cooked yolk 4 to 5 minutes
Medium-cooked yolk 6 minutes
Hard-cooked yolk 17 minutes

Extra Large Soft-cooked yolk 5 minutes
Medium-cooked yolk 7 to 8 minutes
Hard-cooked yolk 19 minutes

I was close!!

EnjOY!!!

YUMEEE

Dawn

fall soup and salad

Broccoli Cheddar soup

2 tbsp butter
1/4 small diced onion
2 tsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2-2 cups cheddar cheese shreds
1 cup broccoli

add butter to pot and saute onions until soft
add second pat of butter and add flour to make a rue, "cook" the flour until caramel color
add chicken broth
whisk with rue
boil to thicken
add cheese ( more or less to your taste --i like more :) )
melt cheese then add broccoli

Simmer for 5-10 mins until broccoli is tender crisp


Fall harvest salad

bag of veggie lovers salad
1-2 Roma tomatoes
cooked and crumbled turkey bacon (I bake it in the oven for 3-5 mins)
1/2 English cucumber
1/2-1 diced gala apple
1 diced avocado
1/3 cup strawberry balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Handful of nuts of choice
1/4 craisins


Mix all ingredients in bowl and chill

Grill 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breast on foreman grill with salt and pepper

Cut into strips and serve over the salad.

Marinara

Here ya go Steph!!

I made this in my crock pot and its super easy!

2 tsp each squeezeable garlic and basil

garlic powder
salt
pepper
2 tbsp italian seasonings
1 large can crushed tomatoes

Mix all ingredients and put in crock pot on low for about 5-6 hours.

ENJOY!!!


YUMEEE


Dawn

Garlic Hummus

I thought I posted this already but apparently I did not. At least I can't find it anyway so I am reposting per Jolene's request.

1 can chick peas ( you must peel the shell off the peas)
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 tsp lemon juice
salt/pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor and stream in the oil as it blends until smooth.

I like to eat hummus on pretzel crisps.

Enjoy!!!


YUMEEE


Dawn

Vegetable Lo Mein

This is a great recipe for a cold night and a quick dinner!

THANKS to my guest blogger--MARIA SHEVLIN

1 pkg stir fry noodles--2 in one pkg, use both

3/4 can bean sprouts
1/2 cup snow peas sliced on an angle
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup julienned carrots


Add tsp of oil to pan
Add garlic and onions to the pan and lightly brown
Add rest of Veg
Add 2 tsp of soy sauce and mix well
Toss in the noodles and mix well
Cover and steam for 3-5 minutes until tender crisp

Serve with Green onion and sesame seeds

ENJOY!!!

YUMEEE

THANKS MARIA

Dawn