Super Easy Soup for a Rainy Fall Night

A good one from Rachael....lots of good flavor!

Chicken Salsa Soup
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 head garlic, cloves finely chopped
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used Rotisserie chicken.)
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups Salsa
Salt
1 avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup sour cream
Directions:
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken thighs and broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup salsa, cover and remove from the heat. Let stand until the chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred.
Return the broth to a simmer; season with salt. Divide the chicken among 4 soup bowls and top with the avocado slices. Ladle the broth into the bowls and top each portion with the cilantro, sour cream and remaining salsa.

This one is a fall keeper...Beef Bourguignon

From A Year of Slow Cooking

3 pounds beef roast, or beef stew meat (I used a stew beef)

6 slices bacon--no need to cook

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced in rings1 cup carrots (chopped or baby, your choice)

4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

1 tablespoon herbs de provence

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups cheap red wine

Directions.Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In the bottom of your stoneware, smear around the olive oil. Then lay down 3 slices of bacon. Add sliced onion and garlic. Put the meat into the pot on top of the onion and garlic, and sprinkle on dried spices and herbs. Toss the meat to distribute the spices to all sides. Add tomato paste. Lay the other 3 slices of bacon on top of the meat, and throw in the carrots. Pour wine over the whole thing.Cover and let cook on low for 8-9 hours, high for 4-5, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. If you are using a roast, you may want to flip the meat about an hour before serving so more liquid is absorbed into the meat. You can also cut the meat into chunks and return to the pot, if you would like more moisture to absorb.Serve with whipped mashed potatoes, and a ladle full of crock juices. I made a little gravy with some flour/butter roux and the juices.

It's a potato ricer...NO..it's a lime squeezer

I figured this out the other night as I was making a few cocktails and needed some lime juice. My juicer had called it quits so I used the ricer and it worked like a charm!

Easy Excellent Mac and Cheese

From a very fun and useful site...A year of slow-cooking

2/3 pound uncooked macaroni or hearty pasta

4 cups of milk

2 eggs

4 cups shredded cheese (I used all cheddar)

salt & black pepper

1 tsp dried mustard

non-stick spray

Directions: Spray crock well with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, whip egg and milk together. Stir in spices.Add cheese and noodles, and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into the crockpot. It will be very liquidy. Cover and cook on low for 2-5 hours, or on high for 1-3. The cooking time will vary depending on what size crockpot you are using, and how quickly it heats and cooks.

Martha's Marvelous Onion Dip

From the Queen of Goodness...

This was a huge hit at our family gathering.

Ingredients
Makes 2 cups.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Vidalia onions (1 pound total), finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
Potato chips, for serving
Directions
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, and chives; season with salt and pepper. Chill dip until slightly thickened, about 1 hour; or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with chips.

Foil Packets and Fish...on the grill

These fish fillets are wrapped up with vegetables and tarragon so you end up with a great tasting meal wrapped up in a simple packet. The tarragon is a really nice add. I happened to use "Texas Tarragon" also known as "Mexican Mint Marigold"...is heartier in terms of growing for the dry Texas soil, but taste like French Tarragon.
Ingredients:
2 6 oz tilapia fillets (or any light white fish for that matter!)
1/2 zucchini cut into julienne strips
1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips....if you know me, you know I skipped this!
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1 carrot cut into julienne strips
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon butter
Preparation:Preheat grill. Heat oil in large skillet and quickly cook vegetables. About 2-3 minutes on a medium-high heat. Take two large pieces of aluminum foil. Place one piece of fish on each. Top with 1/2 tablespoon butter, half the vegetables and half the tarragon. Repeat for the other piece. Wrap tightly and place on grill. Grill over a medium heat for 12 - 18 minutes. Open carefully because the steam can be very hot.
I also served with a side of aioli.

An easy side dish for a summer night...

Sherry Potatoes from one of my fav's Simply Recipes

Ingredients
1 lb russet potatoes, scrubbed clean, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup butter (1/2 a stick), melted
1/4 cup dry sherry
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Method
1 Preheat oven to 375°F.
2 Arrange potato slices in layers in a gratin pan or baking pan, sprinkling salt and pepper over each layer. Pour sherry over the potatoes. Pour the melted butter over the potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are well coated.
3 Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are cooked, but not mushy, and they are slightly browned on top. Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
Serves 4.