10-minute Veggie Pilaf

www.hy-vee.com

This looks like a nice compliment to any weekday meal.  Also, a nice way to add in some more veggies in your diet.

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) bag Hy-vee Steam Quick brown rice
1 tsp Hy-vee select olive oil
1 cup frozen pepper stif-fry blend
1 1/2 cup frozen Hy-vee mixed vegetables
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil or oregano
salt and pepper

• Prepare rice according to package directions
• Heat oil in  a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add stir-fry blend and mixed veggies.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in prepared rice and basil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Tupps Tidbits ~  easy, quick...you do not need to use fresh basil or oregano..dried works

Disappointed, I thought this would be bursting with veggie flavor but it was bland, we should have halved the recipe it made so much!  NOT A KEEPER!

Minestrone Soup I

www.allrecipes.com

Since December was so chilly, we ended up trying out 3 new soup recipes at the end of 2013.  This is our 3rd try!  Minestrone is a thick hearty soup of Italian origin made with vegetables, often with addition of pasta or rice. They say here is no set recipe for minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season  or you have in the house.  This looks low calorie, healthy and good for you....can't wait to try it!

Ingredients:
4 Tbs. margarine
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
1 quart chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Melt margarine in heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, and carrots, saute for a few  minutes.
• Add beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste, potato, stock, garlic, parsley, and salt to the pot.  Bring to a boil, cover,  and reduce heat.  Simmer for approximately 1 hour until  vegetables are barely tender.
• Add pasta, and simmer for 30 minutes more.  Correct seasoning, and serve hot with grated cheese.

Tupps Tidbits ~  you could substitute rice for pasta or even add some spinach for added vegetables

Soup number 3 was a winner. We both loved it and it made awesome leftovers for reheating. It was very hearty, healthy & yummy! KEEPER at our house.  It was so good we forgot to take a final picture.

Zesty Chicken Corn Chowder--

www.readyseteat.com

Happy 2014!  We are staring off the year with some pretty cold conditions in MN.  Let's hope this soup warms us up!  It has a Mexican type zest to it  and looks easy to make.

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. Fleischmann's made with Olive Oil Spread
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can(10-3/4 oz. each) reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (10 oz. each) Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles, undrained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup water

Directions:

• Melt margarine in large saucepan on medium high heat.  Add chicken and onion; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender.
• Add cumin; cook and stir 1 minute.  Add remaining ingredients.  Increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Tupps Tidbits ~ I thought Ro-Tel was only for cheese dip.....

WHOA! One tsp of cumin...yea it was pretty strong cumin! The soup had a little "zest" or "kick" to it and it was not that bad, but definitely NOT A KEEPER!  

Tortellini Soup

www.livebetteramerica.com

We were looking for a heartier dinner than just chicken noodle soup but still a healthy option.  This cheese filled tortellini and vegetable soup sprinkled with cheese looks like a wonderful meal.





1 to 2 Tbs. olive or canola oil
1 medium stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 1/2 cups dried cheese filled tortellini
1 T bs. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• In 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add celery, carrot, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until crisp - tender.
• Stir in water and bouillon cube.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low; stir in tortellini.  Cover; simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tortellini are tender.
• Stir in parsley, nutmeg and pepper.  Sprinkle individual servings with cheese if desired.

Tupps Tidbits ~  we did not find vegetable bouillon cube in the grocery store, we used chicken bouillon

This dish lacked any kind of flavor.  Even after adding a ton of pepper & salt it just lacked any kind of taste. It was very healthy though!  Not a Keeper in our house!

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole

Who doesn't like Green Bean Casserole? Everyone expects it on the holidays and it is easy to make. Many of the cream of mushrooms soups, and the crisp  fried onions from the normal recipe have gluten in them. With a few adjustments you can make this classic dish gluten free. We picked this recipe up at HyVee.

1/2 can Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cans green beans (well drained)
1 1/3 cups Funyuns Onion Flavored rings.  (lightly broken up)

Mix 1/2 the can of soup, beans and 2/3 cups Funyuns in a 1 1/2 -quart casserole.
Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the mixture.
Sprinkle with the remaining Funyuns.
Bake 5 mins longer or until the Funyuns are golden brown.

Tupps Tidbits ~  bake uncovered to thicken

The casserole turned out well, good. The gluten free Funyuns in place of  crisp fried onions was just as good as the normal recipe. Tupps states this is a KEEPER (I hate green beans and did not try it).

Breakfast Pie

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/breakfast-pie

This crust less pie looks good to make over the holidays.  Assemble it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning.

Ingredients
8 bacon strips, diced
1/4 cup crushed cornflakes
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 - 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 green onion, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 - 1/2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes

Directions:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings. Stir reserved drippings into cornflakes; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, onion, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in hash browns. Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with bacon and cornflake mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Tupps Tidbits ~ you could substitute ricotta cheese for cottage cheese

This made an excellent breakfast.  We would definitely make it again and especially if we have company.  KEEPER!

BBQ Snack Mix

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/barbecue_snack_mix/

Everybody goes nuts for snack mixes and  it is that time of year, when the weather is getting colder and you want the oven on longer, so we thought we would give this version of snack mix a a try. It calls for allot of smoked paprika, so it should be interesting.

Ingred:

1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 (1-ounce) envelope ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
4 cups corn-and-rice cereal*
4 cups corn cereal squares*
3 cups bite-size Cheddar cheese crackers*
3 cups baked snack crackers*
3 cups pretzel twists
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 250°.
• In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter and next 7 ingredients. In a large roasting pan, combine cereals and all remaining ingredients. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, tossing to coat.
• Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour or until crispy. Spread mixture in a single layer on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight containers for up to 1 week.

Tupps Tidbits ~ We used Crispix and Corn Chex cereals, Cheez-Its, and Wheat Thins.

After trying this , we decided to stick with the traditional Chex mix.  The smoked paprika was over bearing and the flavor was not the best.  This is NOT A KEEPER and after a week we still have some left over in the house ( that does not happen with most snacks)!