Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup

I love this soup from Olive Garden.  It was almost as good when I made it myself!! And it's so easy!

3 T olive oil
5 T butter
4 T flour
1 pint heavy cream or half and half
2 c milk
1 c red onion, finely diced
2 T minced garlic
1 can chicken broth (14 oz)
1 c carrots, grated
2 c chicken (cooked, diced)
1 package gnocchi, halved and cooked
1 T salt
1 t thyme
1 t parsley
1 T pepper

Sauté garlic and onion in oil and butter until onions are translucent. Add flour to make a roux.

Add milk and heavy cream.  Add chicken, carrots. Add chicken broth.  Cook until thick consistency you like.  Add gnocchi and spices.

Caramel Sauce

Remember when Mom would buy that caramel to dip apples in? Was it Marzettis or something? That always made my day and I'm sure I ate more than my share. Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this sauce is better! It is SO GOOD! The recipe says it is syrup but I'm not sure what you would put it on as syrup...it's practically candy. But on apples...it is amazing! 

Caramel Syrup
3/4 c. buttermilk (I just put a little vinegar into regular milk)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 stick real butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a large pot.
Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (as long as it’s still bubbling, you’re okay). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes (mine took more like 12-15)

When it’s done, it should take on this luscious golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

There will be foam on top but just give it a good stir.

Baked Oatmeal

My mom gave me this recipe and I love it.  The kids love it too!  We eat oatmeal a lot so it is fun to have it made a little differently.  (It is practically a dessert)

2 Cups Oatmeal
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce or mashed bananas
2 Tbls butter


Mix together in 8x8 pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. 

Garden Vegetable Chowder

I got this recipe shortly after we were married and we were attending the University Ward. I made it the other night and realized I had forgotten how good it was. Mark and Tiff really liked it too.

GARDEN VEGETABLE CHOWDER

1 1/2 lb. zucchini
1/3 c. butter
1 med. onion
2 Tbsp. snipped parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1/3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. instant chicken boullion
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 c. water
1 can evaporated milk
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen corn (I used some fresh corn, cooked, cut of the cob)
6 medium tomatoes, (about 1 1/2 lb.) skins removed, seeded, chopped
1 c. fontina cheese (opt.)
1/4 c. Romano cheese (opt.)

Cut zucchini into small cubes. Melt butter in large pan. Cook and stir zucchini, onion, parsley and basil in butter for 8-12 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and pepper into vegetable mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, till bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in boullion, lemon juice and water.  Heat, stirring constantly, to boiling. Add corn. (If using frozen corn, heat to boil and cook  till corn is cooked) Stir in milk and tomatoes. Heat just till boiling. If cheeses are desired, stir them in and heat until melted.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

By popular request.

1 (2-3 lb.) butternut squash, (peeled, seeded, cut in chunks)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
6 c. chicken broth
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Cream
Melt butter in large pot. Add onion. Cook till done. Add squash and broth. Cook till squash is tender. Puree vegetables with broth in blender. Return to pot. Season. Add a touch of cream if desired. (I do.)

SPINACH CHICKEN LASAGNA

This is so good! But it did take awhile to make it. Our friends made it for us. They used coconut oil instead of butter to make it healthier, and it tasted a little coconutty - but it was yummy. But when we made it we used butter because it's cheaper and it was still really good!

You will need:

9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Boil, drain and rinse the noodles.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly.

Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Stir in half the mozzarella and parmesan. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Spread a little of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer with 3 of the noodles, half the ricotta, half of the chicken, and half of the spinach. Pour about 1/3 of the sauce over the top.

Arrange 3 more of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with the rest of the ricotta, chicken and spinach. Pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top.

Place the last three noodles over that, pour on the rest of the sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top with the parsely.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Let it rest for several minutes on the countertop to set.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

This has been one of my favorite meals for a while now. We had it the other night since we had some mushrooms. It's so good and easy! 

 Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup butter
• 4-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• Minced fresh parsley
• Hot cooked pasta or rice (We've always done rice)

Directions

• Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Remove to a serving platter and keep warm.
• In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in butter until tender. Sprinkle with flour and stir until coated. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Remove from the heat; stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining cheese. Serve with pasta or rice. Yield: 6 servings.

Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo

This is just another pinterest recipe, but it was really quite good. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. uncooked fettuccine noodles
• 3 small heads cauliflower
• 6 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup heavy cream (I used milk)
• 1 cup starchy boiling water from pasta pot (I think I forgot this)

Instructions

1. Chop the cauliflower. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil over medium high heat and add cauliflower. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. In my experience, the longer you cook it, the smoother the sauce will be. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
2. As the garlic and cauliflower are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the fettuccine according to directions on package, reserving some of the starchy water to add to the sauce later.
3. Transfer cauliflower to a blender with about 2 cups of the broth. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Add the sauteed garlic, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper and puree until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture is moving, stream the olive oil into the blender. Add more broth or water if the mixture is too thick to move through the blender. You want it to turn through the blender easily. When puree is very smooth, transfer back to the butter/garlic skillet.
4. Add the cream and cook over low heat. Add the starchy pasta water (or regular water if you’re not making pasta) and keep warm until ready to serve. Combine noodles and sauce in a large pot or skillet and serve immediately.

Chicken Fried Steak (or chicken)

Oh my, this is so yummy.  I just used chicken instead of steak and it was sooo yummy, I mean like Cracker Barrel yummy... and I was surprised at how easy it was.  This is not a recipe for all you healthy people but if you want a delicious comfort food meal, make it!

'The BEST Chicken Fried Steak'

Source: Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients

4  beef cube steaks
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (I used Tabasco)
3 cups vegetable shortening for deep frying

Gravy Ingredients

(If you're not using the packaged gravy)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
kosher salt and ground black

Directions

1. Heat the shortening in a deep skillet.

2. Place 2 cups of flour in a shallow bowl. Stir together the baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a separate shallow bowl; stir in the buttermilk, egg, and Tabasco Sauce.

3. Dredge each steak first in the FLOUR, then in the batter, and again in the flour. Pat the flour onto the surface of each steak so they are completely coated with dry flour.

4. Fry the steaks until evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place fried steaks on a plate with paper towels to drain.

Gravy Directions

(If using the packaged gravy, prepare as directed)

In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk over medium heat. Bring the gravy to a slow boil and cook until thick, about 6 to 7 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Spoon the gravy over the steaks to serve.

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls and Butter

Got this recipe on pintrest... it is seriously to die for. I mean, these are probably the best rolls I have ever made.  It may be because of the butter though...either way they are definitely worth making! 

 

 

4 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled

1/2 c. sugar

2 quarts all purpose flour (7-8 cups)

2 whole eggs

2 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar. Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter. Beat thoroughly. Let stand until light and foamy. Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well.

Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest. Meanwhile, grease a large bowl. Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down. Turn out onto a floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Baste immediately with butter. Yield: 5 to 6 dozen.

The butter:  
1 stick butter, soft
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Beat/ mix well.. I just used a fork. Keep in refrigerator to harden.

Garlic Bread Seasoning

Okay, this made the best garlic bread! We were all loving it. And then it made the best pizza sauce. I was so happy. I'm still in search of the best pizza crust recipe (preferably that uses some whole wheat) so if you have it, please share.

Garlic Bread Seasoning

1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp. parsley

Combine ingredients in a jar and shake.

Sprinkle on top of breadsticks or combine 1 1/2 Tbsp. seasoning with 1/4 c. of softened real butter and spread on a loaf of French bread (cut in 1/2 lengthwise). Wrap in foil and bake at 375 until butter’s melted. If you want, you could also pop it open-faced under the broiler for a few minutes so it gets brownish and crispy.

Pizza Sauce


1 6-oz. can tomato paste
6 oz. water (just use the empty tomato paste can)
3 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Empty tomato paste into a bowl and add water a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly until combined. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and allow to stand until ready to use. Covers two average-sized pizza; freezes extremely well.

Healthy Gummy Bears

Hey guys!  If you're like me you would like a healthy treat to give to your kiddos.  I have found it.  Don't be intimidated by the length of the post or the fact that you may not know what Mangosteen Juice.  The process is extremely fast and you can use cheap-o bananas to make them if you don't want to waste $$ on berries.  Lexi loves these little guys.  Seriously, give it a go. 

 http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/post/427647857511

Stir Fry

Stir fry was one of my staples during college. And, quite frankly, it still is. This has been my go-to stir fry recipe for a while, so I thought I'd share. It's so easy!

Whatever meat and/or vegetables you have (chicken, beef, carrots, onion, broccoli, squash of any sort, cabbage, peppers, pineapple, cauliflower, the more the better)
1 T cornstarch
1 T brown sugar
3/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c water
1/4 c soy sauce

Whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth. Once your vegetables are tender, add the sauce. Let cook until thick. Serve over rice.

Chicken Enchiladas with avacado cream sauce

I found this recipe on interest and it is DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients

• • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• • 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• • 2 poblano peppers, stemmed and thinly sliced  ( I didn't have either of these peppers so I used a green bell pepper)
• • 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• • 8-10 flour tortillas
• • 4 cups shredded cooked chicken(rotisserie works best)
• • 2-3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
• • optional garnish: fresh cilantro, sour cream, and/or shredded cheese
• Avocado Cream Sauce Ingredients:
• • 2 Tbsp. butter
• • 2 Tbsp. flour
• • 2 cups chicken broth
• • ¾ cup sour cream
• • ½ tsp. cumin
• • ½ tsp. salt
• • ½ tsp. garlic powder
• • ¼ tsp. pepper
• • 2 California avocados, peeled and pitted
• • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• • juice of one lime

Instructions

1. First make the avocado cream sauce:
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the sour cream, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps.
5. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a blender or food processor. Add avocados, cilantro and lime juice, and pulse until smooth and well-blended. (Be very careful blending hot liquids — the heat will expand! So be sure to remove the lid occasionally so that the heat can escape.)
6. Season with additional salt or pepper if needed.
7. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, poblano and jalapeno, and saute for 5-6 minutes until the onions are cooked and translucent.
8. Remove from heat.
9. To assemble the enchiladas, place a tortilla on a flat surface.
10. Spread a tablespoon or two of the avocado sauce down the middle of the tortilla. Then layer on some of the vegetable mixture, shredded chicken and cheese.
11. Carefully roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish.
12. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
13. Drizzle the top with about half of the remaining avocado cream sauce, then cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until tortillas are heated through and begin to harden.
14. Remove from the oven, then serve individual enchiladas drizzled with the remainder of the avocado cream sauce. You can also garnish with additional cilantro, cheese, and/or sour cream.

Yogurt

This isn't exactly a recipe, but I have to share. I've been making our own yogurt and we love it. It's probably not for everyone, but I thought I'd share in case someone wants to try. It's so easy really. And, it's way cheaper than buying yogurt. I love yogurt and I remember telling Dave once that when we're rich, I want to have yogurt all the time. Well, we must be rich now because we have yogurt all the time. All I do is heat 1/2 a gallon of milk to about 180 degrees (you'll need a thermometer) stirring the whole time so it doesn't burn. Then let it sit uncovered on the counter until it gets down to about 110 degrees. Set your oven to the lowest temperature you have to warm it up. Then stir in about 2-3 tablespoons of plain yogurt (buy some at the store the first time and then every time after that just use your already homemade stuff) to your milk. Turn your oven off, but turn the light of your oven on. This lets off just enough to heat to keep your milk mixture at about 110 degrees. Cover your soon to be yogurt and let it sit in that oven for 8-10 hours. The longer it sits, the thicker it will be but the tangier it will be. (Sometimes I just mix it up before bed and just let it sit there all night long.) Then put it in containers and put it in the fridge. I have never gotten mine to be super thick, but it still tastes great. I've read you can add powdered milk to your milk to make it thicker and give it more protein. I haven't tried it. If you do, let me know if it works. You can also strain it through a cheesecloth to make Greek yogurt, but I haven't done that either. So, to eat it, I have to add quite a bit of sugar to make it delicious (I think brown sugar is the best). We also add fruit if we want, or sprinkle granola on top, or add lemon juice and sugar to make lemon yogurt, or add jam, or put it in smoothies, or cook with it, or whatever you want. My boys love it and gobble it up. In fact Jasher doesn't even like to stir in his sugar anymore. He just lets it sit on top. But, one time another little boy was over and we had some yogurt so I gave him some. He took one bite, made a bit of a disgusted face and said, "We have better yogurt at my house." So, I guess it does take some getting used to...   

Ranch Chicken Tacos

Here is for super easy and delicious tacos!
(I never measure so you might have to take your best guess as to how much)

Put in crock pot (either on low for 4 or 5 hours or on high for 2 hours)
(2) Chicken breasts
(1 1/2 C) Chicken broth
(1 t) taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix- I didn't have it so I literally squirted some from the bottle and it tasted just as good!

Shred the chicken (put it back in the juice so it soaks up more flavor).  Juice will be runny, like water, so you might have to get the chicken out with a slotted spoon or drain it. 

Put it in your tacos with your favorite taco fixings. We love corn tortillas..warm them up on the stove so they tase fresh.  Also, limes are a must.  Yummy.

Roasted Vegetables

Maybe I am just behind in my culinary knowledge, but the last while I have discovered how amazing roasted vegetables are. I have always been one to steam or boil vegetables, but since roasting them, we have discovered a whole new world of taste! Truly, most have been amazing! Try it! We just but a little oil and salt (or whatever seasoning you want) with the vegetables on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven. Depending on the vegetable, it can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes. Usually around 15-20. Here's a list of what we have loved - ASPARAGUS, broccoli, ZUCCHINI, summer squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, I'm sure there are more.

Last Saturday in our Bountiful Basket, we got something that looked like this:

I surely did not know what it was so after a little research, I my best guess is something called salad savoy which is a cross between cabbage and kale. It tastes like cabbage, but the leaves are more like a lettuce or kale I suppose. Well, the recipe that looked most appealing was simply roasting the leaves with a little oil and salt to make a light, crunchy, chip-like thing. I tried it last night and it was DELICIOUS! I wanted more. I think we'll definitely do that to the rest of the bunch. I'm not sure if you can find salad savoy in a grocery store, but I'm guessing kale would be just as delicious! Try it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a good soup! It's very thin, like broth, but when you add the toppings, it turns super delicious! The avocado is what makes this soup for me! So, wait until you have some to make it! For Dave, it's the fried tortilla strips and creaminess from the cheese and sour cream.


Some chicken - shredded or chunked, seasoned or not
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans chicken broth
1 15-oz. can chopped or diced tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers (I left these out)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

TOPPINGS:
Store-bought tortilla chips, or 2-3 corn tortillas fried in oil in a frying pan
Sliced avocado
Grated cheese
1/4 c. cilantro
Sour cream

In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and minced jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.
While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings: grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado, and fry the tortillas. Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.