Pasta e Fagioli--Jill's version Olive Garden Copy cat

This is one of our favorite soup dishes to make when the weather starts to turn cold.  The twins loved it as babies and could self feed themselves because everything was cut to finger food sizes for them. Every time I make this it gets good reviews and family and friends alike have asked for the recipe. We serve this soup with a nice green salad and Ciabatta bread or other Italian bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  If we are really making it special we serve a Tiramisu for dessert.

1 lb ground beef (or Italian Sausage)-sometimes I do 50/50

1 onion, diced (1 cup)

1-3 carrots, julienned (we love carrots, but if you don't lean toward the 1 carrot)

3 Stalks celery chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14.5 oz each ) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz ) can tomato sauce

1 (12 oz) can V-8 juice * this is a new ingredient I have added for those of you who have my recipe already (11/12/08)

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained (can substituted other white beans too)

3 cups beef broth or 2 (14.5 oz) cans beef broth

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8-1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (optional if you like your food with a little kick) 

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 lb Ditali pasta (small tube shaped)

Brown the ground meat in a large saucepan/pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.  Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, except the pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.  About 50 minutes into the simmer time, cook the pasta in a separate pot for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain and rinse (this helps the pasta not absorb the soup). Add the pasta to your pot of soup and simmer for 5-10 minutes then serve.

**This makes a ton of soup--Italian stew.  It freezes nicely, but I have learned from experience that it turns out better if you freeze the soup without the noodles and add them when you thaw and reheat. If not the pasta really breaks down and turns to mush. If you decided to freeze you might want to cut your amount of pasta down in the recipe so you don't end up with a warm pasta salad ;-)

Danish Meatballs

This is a Foodies menu from Jeana Pope.  She got this recipe from a friend who served in Denmark. I made some modifications noted with and *.  Thank you Jeana for this recipe and cultural experience.  This recipe will have to be cut in half if I make it for my little family again. This recipe served 6 adults (3 men, 3 women) and 6 small children with some leftovers.

1 lb ground beef  *Diet Lean meat 93% Fat 

1 lb ground pork (just ask your butcher for it)

2 large eggs

Mix meat and eggs together then add:

4 Tablespoons of breadcrumbs

1/4 cup milk or cream *1 % milk

1 medium onion finely diced

1 clove of garlic minced

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 3/4-1 teaspoon pepper

Form golfball size meatballs/patties and put them in the frying pan over medium heat covered for about 30 minutes. Check temperature of meat to make sure they are done. Use drippings from the meat as a gravy. Serve with pickled red cabbage and mashed potatoes. 

* We served ours with mashed potatoes, squash, fresh tossed green salad, and homemade rolls. I couldn't find the pickled red cabbage. Jeana said you can find it near the pickles in her local Albertsons you might have better luck than we do here in our small town. I also did some looking on the internet these meatballs are a staple for most Danes. They serve it with potatoes broiled, baked, mashed or with rice--take your choice. Most of their recipes are pretty basic without a lot of spices so this was kid friendly.

**Because I used lean meats I didn't have drippings for gravy, so I made a cup of beef base/broth and deglazed the pan with it and then added a flour thickener and salt to taste to make a small amount of gravy.  

Jack and Jill's Tuna Salad on Crackers

Jack, the kids, and I love this quick meal for lunch.  It is relatively healthy if you don't go wild with the mayonnaise or over do it with crackers. We always eat a lot of crackers when we make it. It would be a good party food.

2 cans Tuna

1 avocado diced

1 tomato diced

2-4 Tbsp minced onion

A few drops Lemon juice

2 Tbsp Mayonnaise or to your liking 

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of Garlic salt (optional) or Salad Supreme seasoning --to taste

Combine the tuna, mayonnaise, onions, and lemon juice. Add the avocado and tomato and stir gently.

Serve on top of your favorite cracker or bread. Our favorite is crackers!

Three Cheese Beef Enchiladas

I got this recipe from one of my girlfriends in Billings at "Foodies". She admits she is a picky eater. She loves this as does her kids, and all of my family. It is high calorie and fattening, so how can it not be delicious?

1 lb Hamburger

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese

1- 3 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup salsa (I use my homemade salsa)

1/2 sliced green onion

1 teaspoon cumin

10 flour tortillas (7 if they are Burrito size)

Brown hamburger (I also added some chopped onion), and drain off fat. Combine 1 cup of each cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 onions (I leave out if I have added chopped onion to the brown beef.), 1/4 cup salsa (salsa) and the cumin.  Mix well with the hamburger. Spoon into tortillas and roll. Place in baking dish seam side down. Spoon remaining salsa and remaining cheese over all tortillas. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until desired crunchiness.

Creamy Chicken & Chile Enchiladas

I thought I might as well put all my enchilada recipes on the blog while I was at it. I only have three and we love them all.  They are all Carpenter Kid approved, don't know that that will mean much for anyone checking this blog out.  My kids are good eaters and aren't to picky --Thank GOODNESS! I hope you enjoy these simple and tasty recipes.

1 lb cooked chicken, diced

1-8 oz pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes (I use 1/3 less fat version-can't tell)

1 -4 oz can chopped green chiles

1 dozen flour tortillas (soft taco's or fajita

2 -10 oz cans green chile enchilada sauce

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a 10-inch non-stick skillet cook chicken until no longer pink. Add cream cheese and chiles, reduce heat to medium.  Cook until blended and cream cheese is melted.

Spoon chicken filling into tortillas, roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish. Pour enchilada sauces over the top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

We typically serve this with a nice Green toss salad, and corn or other vegetable.

Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas are always a hit with my family and anyone that has sat down at our table with us when we are serving them.  I love them because the are simple to prepare and taste great.

1 dozen flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cooked chicken, diced or 3 whole breast

1- 4oz can diced green chiles

1 cup sour cream

1 chopped onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small can chopped black olives

combine all ingredients, except tortillas. Roll chicken mixture in tortillas.  Place seam side down in a greased 9 x 13. (I use to pans so I don't have to pack them to tightly). Leave uncovered if you like crunchy enchiladas (my favorite) or cover with foil for soft (leftovers are always soft that's probably why I like crunchy adds variety). Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. 

If you assemble and cook immediately the time can be adjusted because your filling will already be warm.  This recipe works great to make ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to cook--love that on fast Sundays.

Microwave Applesauce

My sister-in-law Echo gave me this recipe when I was telling her I was going to make applesauce with my boys "Joy School" this week. It was so fun. The kids had fun helping peel, core, and slice the apples with the little apple core machine. They gobbled it up asking for seconds and thirds. The four children would have eaten the entire recipe had I allowed it. I highly recommend this recipe if you like apple treats. We ate it warm! What a great fall snack, treat, or dessert. I love that it is simple and quick as well.

3 Golden Delicious Apples

3 Fuji Apples (Have also used Gala)

1 cup Apple juice (I used 1 Capri sun 100% juice pouch)

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

3 Tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel, core and quarter apples (I used my apple peeler/core/slicer.) Combine everything in a microwave safe bowl with a lid. Place lid on bowl and leave on side partially opened for a vent (or use plastic wrap with a vent hole). Microwave on high for 10 minutes. Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.