Monday, January 17, 2011

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups lentils, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
8 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions:
Place all ingredients in soup kettle, except tomatoes and vinegar. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add tomatoes and vinegar. Simmer 30 minutes longer.

Time: 2+ hours
Servings: 8?

Source:
Favorites Cookbook

Grandma Jean's Sweet and Sour Chicken over Rice

Ingredients:
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
Boil oil and pineapple juice. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, water, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir until well combined, then add to pineapple juice mixture. Over medium heat, stir with wire whip until thick. Add chicken, pineapple, and peppers. Heat through. Serve over rice. Pass soy sauce.

Time:
about 30 minutes
Servings: around 5

Notes:

I usually try to get a large can of pineapple so that I have enough juice. However, that usually ends up being too much pineapple, so you may not want to use it all. Also, I usually use much less cornstarch because I find that the food is much too thick when used a day later as leftovers. All in all, an easy and very good recipe created by Grandma Jean after her sister got back from China.

Source:
Grandma Jean

Mom's Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (29-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can corn, with juice
2/3 of the corn can filled with water (about 1 cup)
1/2 to 1 taco seasoning packet
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:
Cook beef with onion in a large soup pot until cooked through. Add remaining ingredients and boil and simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes.

Time:
45 minutes start to finish

Servings:
About 8?

Source:
Shari Lindsay

Grandma Jean's Chili

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
large onion, chopped
garlic salt
1 (29-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can S&W kidney beans
1 (29-ounce) can chili beans (or 1 (15-ounce) can of both chili and white beans)
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
bay leaf

Directions:
Cook the ground beef with the onion and garlic salt. Simmer until onions are tender. Then add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, two hours.

Time: 10 minutes prep, simmer two hours
Servings: I'm not sure, but we usually have enough to freeze half and eat the remaining half for two days. 12 maybe?

Notes:
This is comfort food! A family favorite. Sometimes I add a third can of tomato sauce if it looks too thick. I usually rinse and drain all my beans, but not draining could make it not so thick. Also, I don't usually have time to let it simmer for two hours, but it is still very good. I like it on the spicier side, so I add a lot of chili powder. I also like to use half chili beans half white beans for color and variety. Very easy, filling, and tasty!

Source:

Grandma Jean

Meat, Chicken or Shrimp Stir Fry

Ingredients:
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil
bunch of green onions, sliced to include part of green
beef strips, pork strips, chicken strips, or shrimp
some/any of the following vegetables:
  • sliced carrots
  • cauliflower pices
  • broccoli pieces
  • green beans
some/any of the following:
  • sliced mushrooms
  • green or red pepper strips
  • peapods
  • bean sprouts
  • water chestnuts
Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:
Pour oil in bottom of wok. Add green onions and meat of choice. Saute until cooked through. Steam vegetable(s) and add to wok. Add your choice of mushrooms, pepper strips, etc. Stir together the sauce and add to the mixture in the wok. Cook until bubbles, so that sauce thickens. Serve over hot white rice. No specific amounts are given for meats, fish or vegetables. Just put together what you like the most and enjoy!

Notes:
Clearly, this is a loose recipe. I often use whatever is going to go bad in my fridge, or I even use frozen vegetables if that's all I have. It's a nice way to use up miscellaneous vegetables, but it can also be really good using planned things like the water chestnuts, which I never have around.

Source:
Favorites Cookbook

Amber's Italian Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients:
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Directions:
Combine soup, cream cheese and dressing mix. Pour over chicken in crock pot and cook all day on low-heat. Serve over noodles or rice.

Time:
10 minutes prep, cooks all day

Notes:
Delicious and easy. I usually serve it with rice, but noodles would be great, too.

Source:
Favorites Cookbook

Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients:
6 cups water
6 chicken bullion cubes
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 or 2 tablespoons chili powder
1 (29-ounce) can crushed tomatos
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup rice
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, undrained
corn chips
cheese, grated
cilantro, chopped
sour cream
2 limes, quartered

Directions:
In a large pot, bring water to a boil; dissolve bullion cubes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cubed chicken, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, sugar, rice, and garbanzo beans. Simmer for about an hour. When ready to serve, add remaining ingredients as toppings to individual servings.

Time: 20 minutes prep, 1 hour simmer
Servings: 8

Notes:
This is a really basic soup, but with the cilantro and lime, it is fantastic!!

Source:
Chanelle Scown, via Essential Mormon Celebrations