Hamburger Soup

I just made this recipe up based on things I could eat...feel free to add/remove veggies to your liking! :)

Ingredients:

1# hamburger

6 cups beef broth (I actually used au jus)

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 of a green pepper, chopped

3/4 c chopped onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (into small chunks)

2T brown sugar

Brown the hamburger, drain. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Add in all of the other ingredients, bring to a boil again, then simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.

This was so, so yummy and made quite a good sized pot! You'll have to add salt, though, to your liking. It also would have been great with green beans or carrots, but I definitely wouldn't substitute the potatoes for anything. :)

Buffalo Chicken Chili

We had this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! I used the full half cup of hot sauce and even Alex liked it! (Although Seth gave him horseradish the other day and he told Seth it was "yummy for his tummy" so I don't think there's much he wouldn't like.) I didn't do the blue cheese corn chip thing because I don't like blue cheese. We topped it with a bit of grated cheddar and crumbled chips into it. DELISH! Thanks Rachael Ray!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 tablespoon butter
2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast or chicken breast chopped into bite-size pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled, recommended type Maytag Blue
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 375°F or broiler to medium.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7-8 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, spread the yellow and blue corn chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, about 4-5 minutes. If using the broiler, 2-3 minutes should do the trick. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of buffalo chicken chili with a few blue cheese-topped corn chips.

Menu

Here's my menu for the second half of the month. I feel if I post this I'll be more obligated to actually prepare decent meals and not just wait until 4:30 and try to put something together. :)

Mon-Roast, potatoes, etc
Tues - Beef soup or stew (however it comes out)
Wed - Spaghetti pie
Thur - Chicken enchilada casserole
Fri - Hot wing pizza
Sat - Faith Promise Dinner (at church)
Sun - Wendy's (because "she's always happy")
Mon-Ham, potatoes, veggies
Tues - Ham and cheese pockets
Wed - California Tamale pie
Thur - Breakfast (probably biscuits and gravy)
Fri - Homemade pizza
Sat - Candied steak

*Note: All side dishes and vegetables are subject to whatever produce is on sale that week!

Avocado Salad-Topped Steak Tacos

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 pound skirt steak, halved crosswise (or whatever you have)
Salt and Pepper
2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped
Grated peel and juice of 2 limes
1 head butter lettuce, shredded
2 avocados-halved, pitted and cut into small cubes
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
12 taco shells

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil and the chili powder, then rub all over the steak; season with salt and pepper. Add to the grill pan and cook turning once, until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the jalapenos, lime peel, lime juice and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce, avocados and onion and toss; season with salt and pepper.

Divide half of the avocado salad among the taco shells, then top with the meat and the remaining avocado salad.

**We just cubed steak and sauteed it in the spice mixture (for simplicity). We also added a bit of cheese because they seemed naked without it. The onion was on the side to add as each person chooses. They were SO, SO GOOD!

Sunni's Cheesy Enchiladas

This recipe was on the LPM blog this morning and it looked yummy to me. Just another variation of a classic. (I think even Kirsten could eat this!)

Ingredients:
(I always half this recipe)
24 flour tortillas
2 lbs. ground beef
2 lbs. Velveeta, cubed
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
4 (8-oz.) cartons sour cream
¼ cup butter
2 med. onions, chopped
1 dash garlic salt
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat with one chopped onion. Add garlic salt and salt and pepper. Drain. Coat large sauce pan with non-stick spray. Add sour cream and tomatoes, mix well. Add butter and heat on medium heat. Add Velveeta, stirring constantly. Add the remaining chopped onion. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 5 min. The cheese/butter should be melted by this point. Add a portion of the sauce to meat. Spoon meat mixture into tortillas. Lay in casserole dish, seam down. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Cover and bake for 15 min. at 350 degrees.