Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 T Butter

1 T Olive oil

1 Medium onion, diced

1 Large carrot, diced

1 Celery stalk, diced

2 Garlic cloves, pressed

2 T All-purpose flour

48 Oz. Chicken broth

6 Medium red potatoes, diced

1/2 C Greek sour cream

1/2 C Unsweetened almond milk

6 Oz. Roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1 t Thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and mix in the olive oil. Saute the onion, carrot, and celery for about 5 minutes, until onion is lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, and continue to cook 1 minute. Mix in the flour. Whisk in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Place the potatoes in the pot, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Mix the sour cream and almond milk together and stir into the pot. Stir in the roasted red peppers. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking until heated through.

* Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-red-pepper-and-potato-soup/

Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 Acorn squash

Water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Using a strong chef's knife cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the center of each half. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don't burn and the squash doesn't get dried out.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. When finished, remove from oven and let cool a little before serving.

* Adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/classic_baked_acorn_squash/

Mexican Pizza

Ingredients:

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough
2 T Mexican Seasoning
1 (14 oz) Can Tomato sauce
1 Pound lean ground beef
1 Medium onion, diced
1 Large bell pepper (or several smaller multi-colored peppers), diced
Dried cilantro
Crushed tortilla chips
Sliced black olives
Diced tomato
Cheddar cheese (or dairy-free cheddar cheese shreds)

Directions:

Cook crust according to directions. 

In a large skillet brown ground beef. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until onion becomes translucent. Add tomato sauce and Mexican seasoning and simmer for several minutes. 

Spread ground beef mixture over crust. Top with cheese. Sprinkle black olives, diced tomatoes, tortilla chips, and cilantro on top and continue baking until cheese has melted sufficiently. 

* My recipe

Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 Pound Sirloin Tip (cut into 2 inch strips)
2 T Mexican Seasoning
2 t Vegetable oil
1 t Beef bouillon granules (or one cube)
1/8 C Hot water
1 T Cornstarch
1 Medium onion, thickly sliced
2 Large Bell Peppers, thickly sliced
1 (14.5 ounce) Can Diced tomatoes, with liquid

Directions:

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with Mexican seasoning. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips.

Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Add any remaining Mexican seasoning. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, and tomatoes.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

*Adapted from http://trickschefs.com/showthread.php?tid=412

Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Rolls:

3 1/2 C Warm water
3/4 C Sugar
1/2 C Oil
6 T. Yeast
1 T Salt
3 Eggs
10 1/2 C Flour

Filling:

1/4 C Butter (or margarine)
1 C Sugar
1 T Cinnamon

Icing:

1/2 C Butter (or margarine)
2 Dashes salt
2 t Vanilla extract
6 C Powdered Sugar
Almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Directions:

Mix warm water, sugar, oil, and yeast and let sit for 15 minutes.

Add salt, eggs, and flour. Mix together for 10 minutes, then sit for 10 minutes.

Oil a flat surface, dump out dough. Divide in half. Roll one half out into rectangle. Spread with melted butter and then with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll up tight, but not too tight.

Cut into 12 rolls and place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough.

Let rise (it will rise while baking as well).

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400.

While the rolls are baking put your powdered sugar in a mixing bowl, along with melted butter, salt, and vanilla.

Slowly add milk until the frosting is the consistency you want.

Serve rolls warm and top with icing or cool and top with icing. Enjoy!

*Adapted from http://valleyridgerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/04/cinnamon-rolls_17.html

Sweet Potato and Bacon Hash

Ingredients:

3 Bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 T Olive oil
2 Medium Sweet potatoes (about 8 oz each), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 C Diced red onion
1/2 t Garlic powder
1-2 jalapenos, minced (optional, do not include for Nightshade-Free)
1/2 t Ground cumin
L4 large eggs
2 T Chopped parsley

Directions:

Add the bacon to a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook until browned and crisp, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain most of the fat from the pan.

Add the olive oil and when it's hot, add the sweet potatoes. Spread them in a single layer to the extent possible. Let them cook undisturbed until they start to brown on the bottom. Toss the potatoes then again let them cook undisturbed until they begin to brown. Repeat this process until most sides of the potatoes are golden brown and they are tender.

Add the bacon back to the pan, along with the onion, garlic, jalapenos and cumin and cook until the onions have softened slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the eggs over-easy in another pan. Remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.

Serve the fried eggs over the hash. Garnish with parsley and season with salt and pepper.

*Adapted from http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2012/11/sweet-potato-and-bacon-hash.html

Salmon Florentine

Ingredients:

1 Package (12 oz) frozen spinach, thawed 

1 t Olive oil

1/4 C Minced shallots (or onion)

1/4 t Garlic powder

5 Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (or 1 large tomato, diced)
1 Red bell pepper, roasted and chopped

1/2 t Salt, plus more to taste 

1/4 t Red pepper flakes 

1/4 t Ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 C Goat cheese

4 Skinless salmon fillets (6 oz each), rinsed and patted dry 

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°. Squeeze spinach of all excess liquid. Set aside. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots (or onions); cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic powder, spinach, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, salt, pepper flakes and pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes more. 

Remove from heat.

Add goat cheese; stir to combine. 

Pack about 1/2 cup spinach mixture on top of each fillet, matching the shape of the fillet. Place fillets on a rimmed baking sheet or in a glass baking dish; bake until cooked through, 15 minutes.

*Adapted from http://www.self.com/fooddiet/recipes/2009/11/salmon-florentine?mbid=enws_row0326&mobify=0