Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cooking with my niece Marissa has become a regular get-together for the past 2+ years. She is a young adult with a passion for cooking and loves to learn new things. This soup recipe was adapted from an old recipe I saved, and of course I have added my own twist to it. This is a great soup to serve with quesadillas on a rainy day.

• 4+ cups chicken broth
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• red and green pepper strips
• 1 cup slices or diced carrots
• 1 cup of roasted corn
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1/2 rotisserie chicken meat, chopped
• 1 container of heavy cream
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cilantro
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve with sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, croutons and Monterey Jack cheese. 

Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

• 4 ounces goat cheese
• ½ cup packed, baby spinach, chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves (1 tablespoons) fresh garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 slices of provolone cheese (or mozzarella)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1½ cups Panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or asiago cheese)
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the spinach and cheese filling: You can use the food processor on pulse, it’s much easier!

In a medium bowl or food processor (use pulse), combine all the ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients are mixed throughout.

For the stuffed chicken breasts:
Place a rack near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking pan and set aside.
Butterfly the chicken breast and using a meat mallet or rolling pin, flatten each chicken breast to about a ½ inch.
Spread a quarter of the mixture onto each chicken breast; top each with swiss cheese. Carefully roll up the chicken and secure with toothpicks.
Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine Panko crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the eggs and then into the panko parmesan mixture. Make sure the breasts are well coated. 
(Use the extra stuffing for zucchini boats!)
Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center and the outside is golden brown.

Gluten Free Turkey Tetrazzini

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups cooked turkey cubed or chopped
• 1 package gluten free pasta 
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• One 5 oz. bag of potato chips crushed

Boil lightly salted water and add pasta. Cook until al dente and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray cooking dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan and add flour, slat and pepper. Add broth and milk and bring to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese and remove from heat. 


Mix sauce with turkey & pasta and then put in prepared baking dish. Add remaining cheese and top with the potato chips. 
Bake for 1 hour until top turns golden brown.

Lamb & Bean Soup

Leftover lamb? Here's the perfect recipe you will thoroughly enjoy! It tastes like a whole new dish even though you are using leftovers!

FOR THE SOUP:

• 3/4 cup chickpeas or gigante beans, drained
• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 16 oz leftover lamb
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup cooked couscous 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

PISTACHIO-MINT PESTO:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 cup shelled pistachios
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet. Add the lamb and cook, turning from time to time, until browned all over. Transfer to the pot. Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaves and the beans. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 35 minutes.

To prepare pesto: Meanwhile, process mint, pistachios and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add oil, lemon juice and yogurt through the feed tube. Process until the mixture forms a paste. If using unsalted pistachios, add salt, if desired.

Skim fat from the surface of the soup. Using tongs, transfer the lamb shank to a clean cutting board. When cool enough to handle, coarsely shred the lamb meat and return it to the soup. Add the couscous. Heat through. Stir in lemon juice. Dollop some pesto onto each serving.

Roast Butterflied Boneless Leg of Lamb

You can do this recipe with either a boneless or bone in leg go lamb. Once you make it following this recipes you want want it any other way!

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise into 3 pieces each
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Greek), crumbled
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (4 1/2- to 5-lb) butterflied boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat
• 1 large (2-gallon) heavy-duty sealable plastic bag or vacuum packer if you have one

Combine oil, lemon juice, instant coffee granules, oregano, salt, and pepper in sealable plastic bag.

Cut holes all over lamb and insert garlic pieces

Add lamb to the bag, pressing out air and seal. Turn bag to coat lamb, then put bag in a shallow baking pan and marinate, chilled, turning bag over occasionally, overnight.

Remove lamb from marinade (discard any leftover marinade.

When ready to cook, remove lamb from refrigerator, and allow to sit at room temperature. 

Place lamb, cut side up, on a large wire rack set over a foil-lined roasting pan. Broil, moving pan so entire surface browns evenly, about 8 minutes. Turn lamb over; continue to broil until well browned on the other side, about 8 minutes longer. Turn off broiler, remove lamb from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the lamb; return it to the oven. Roast for a total of 50 minutes to 1 hour, until thermometer registers a rosy-pink 140 degrees. Check lamb several times after 30 minutes. If lamb gets done sooner, simply turn down oven to 170 degrees until ready to serve.

OPTIONAL: As soon as lamb comes out of the oven, squeeze on lemon juice.

Carve, slicing across the grain when possible. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with accumulated juices, and serve.

Greek Leek and Feta Cornbread Pie (Plasto)

Nick's Yia Yia made this dish or a variation of it. Basically it is a "peasant" dish and families made it differently based on what ingredients they had at the time. You can make the plain corn version or you can add diced zucchini or tomatoes to it too. We will enjoy this with our Easter meal!

Yia Yia's Plasto (makes two pies):



• 2 eggs

• 1/4 corn oil
• 1/4 cup water

• 1 lb feta try to get the creamiest available, I find the French to be the creamiest
• 1 can corn kernels (drained) optional
• 
2 large blanched leeks

• 1 package cornbread mix



Heat oven to 375 degrees.


Slice cleaned leeks (both white and green parts) into small pieces and blanch in boiling water for a few minutes to soften. Drain with cold water and set aside.


In a large bowl combine 2/3 of the package of cornbread mix with enough equal parts oil and water to make a crumbly mixture. 
Spread mixture in pie vessels covering the bottom and edges. 


Smash the feta and eggs together with a fork, then add leeks.


Arrange leek filling on top of cornbread pie dough, then powder with remaining cornbread mix, wetting the top with remaining oil and water (use more if needed).


Bake at 350º for 40-50 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Stuffed Meatloaf

This stuffed meatloaf is sort of an "inside out" stuffed pepper. It's stuffed with yellow, red and orange peppers, lots of onions and obey gooey cheddar. The smoky flavor from the seasoning packet is the finishing touch for this delicious meal!

• 3 peppers – 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 orange seeded and chopped
• 1 white onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 packet of McCormick Slow Cookers Bbq Pulled Pork Seasoning Mix
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup salsa or tomato sauce

Sauté peppers and onions in olive oil until soft and onions are translucent.

Set a side and let cool for 10 minutes.

Add shredded cheddar to pepper and onions until thoroughly mixed.

In a bowl, mix meat, egg, seasoning packet and salt and pepper until well incorporated. Lay down a piece of wax paper in a large cookie sheet and pressed the meat mixture in until you get it perfectly even and flat.

Spread onion/pepper, cheese mixture all of the meat and taking one end of the wax paper, roll up jellyroll style. Remove the wax paper and place in baking pan seam side down. Place two small pieces of foil on each end of the meat roll to prevent filling from oozing out too much.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, top/spread with salsa (or tomato sauce) and then cook an additional half and hour. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!