Healthy Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

8-10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • 2 heads of cauliflower
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 white onion, minced
  • 1 cup 1% milk
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon pepper
  • 1/4 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons garlic

Directions

Cut broccoli and cauliflower into pieces. Mince white onion.

In a large pot, heat up 10 cups of water. Add cauliflower. Let boil 10 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.

In a second large pot, heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil at medium-high heat. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute and stir. Add onion and stir. After 3-4 minutes, remove cauliflower from first pot with water and add cauliflower to second pot. Mash cauliflower. Mix with other ingredients.

In first pot with boiling water, add broccoli. Boil 5 minutes and cook until soft. Transfer broccoli to second pot. Lightly mash. Mix with other ingredients.

Change heat to low. Add in carrots, milk, chicken broth, dijon mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix. Let simmer 10 minutes, constantly mix. Add in 1 3/4 cups of cheddar cheese. Mix.

If the soup is too thick, add more chicken broth. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed.

Serve. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

This is my original recipe.

This recipe will make multiple servings and is great to freeze for leftovers. I like to eat the soup with my favorite crackers.

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Sweet Chili Pork Bowls with Bell Pepper and Peanuts

2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1/4 oz. cilantro
  • 1 lime
  • 3/4 cup Jasmine rice
  • 1/2 oz. peanuts
  • 10 oz. ground pork
  • 4 tablespoons sweet soy glaze (or substitute 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce)
  • 1 oz. sweet Thai chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper

Directions

Wash and dry all produce. Halve, core, and thinly slice bell pepper into strips. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Mince cilantro. Zest and quarter lime.

In a small pot, combine rice, 1 1/4 cups water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Heat a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add peanuts, 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring often, until water has evaporated and peanuts are coated and lightly toasted, 3-5 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out pan.

Heat a large drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, 6-9 minutes. Transfer veggies to a plate.

Add another drizzle of oil to same pan over medium-high heat. Add pork; season with salt and pepper. Using a spatula, press into an even layer. Cook, without stirring, until browned on bottom, 3-4 minutes. Break up into pieces and continue cooking until pork is cooked through, 2-4 minutes more. Stir in cooked veggies, then add sweet soy glaze, chili sauce and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook, stirring, until mixture is thoroughly coated, 1-2 minutes.

Fluff rice with a fork; stir in 1 tablespoon butter and lime zest to taste. Season with salt. Divide between bowls and top with pork mixture. Top with peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Recipe originally found on Hello Fresh.

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Crispy Southwestern Chicken Cutlets with Monterey Jack, Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Veggies

2 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 1/2 Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Southwest Spice blend
  • 10 oz. chicken cutlets
  • 4 teaspoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Ingredients for Southwest spice blend (there will be extra for future use)

  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground red pepper

Directions

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Dice potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a medium pot with enough salted water to cover 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot. Keep covered off heat until ready to mash.

Meanwhile, halve, peel and thinly slice onion. Halve, core, and thinly slice poblano into strips. In a medium bowl, combine Panko, Monterey Jack, a drizzle of olive oil, half the chili powder, 1 teaspoon Southwest spice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toss onion and poblano on one side of a baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and remaining chili powder. Roast for 5 minutes.

While veggies roast, pat chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Evenly brush tops of chicken with half the sour cream. Mound panko mixture onto brushed sides, pressing firmly to adhere. Drizzle tops of coated chicken with oil.

Once veggies have roasted 5 minutes, remove sheet from oven; add chicken to empty side. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through and veggies are tender and slightly crisp, 15-18 minutes. If veggies are done before chicken, remove from sheet and continue roasting chicken.

Meanwhile, mash potatoes until mostly smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and remaining sour cream. Add splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide chicken and mashed potatoes between plates. Top with roasted veggies. Serve with hot sauce for drizzling over, if desired.

Recipe originally found on Hello Fresh.

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Pork Sausage and Tomato Risotto with Lemony Zucchini Ribbons

2 servings

Ingredients

  • 9 oz. Italian pork sausage
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 roma tomato
  • 3/4 cup Arborio rice
  • 1 tablespoon Tuscan heat spice
  • 1 bouillon cube
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper

Tuscan Heat Spice (there will be extra for future use)

  • 3 tablespoons granulated garlic
  • 3 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

Remove sausage from casing; discard casing. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Turn off heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate, keeping as much oil in a pan as possible.

Meanwhile, wash and dry all produce. Halve onion; peel and thinly slice one half (save the remaining half for another use). Dice tomato.

Heat pan used for sausage over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter, sliced onion, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion is softened, 5-7 minutes. Add rice and Tuscan Heat spice. Cook, stirring, until grains are translucent, 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomato and 1/2 cup water, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan.

Meanwhile, measure 4 cups hot water. Add bouillon cube and 1/2 cup hot water to pan with rice mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until liquid is mostly absorbed. Repeat with remaining water–adding 1/2 cup at a time and stirring until liquid has mostly absorbed–until rice is al dente and mixture is creamy, 25-30 minutes. (You may not use all of the water).

While risotto cooks, trim ends from zucchini. Using a peeler, shave zucchini lengthwise into ribbons, rotating as you go, until you get to the seedy core; discard core. Zest and quarter lemon. Add a large squeeze of lemon juice to a medium bowl. Toss in zucchini ribbons, a drizzle of olive oil, and lemon zest to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Once risotto is done cooking, stir in sausage, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper. Divide risotto between bowls or plates. Top with zucchini ribbons or serve them on the side, along with any remaining lemon wedges.

Recipe originally found on Hello Fresh.

Risotto usually takes a long time to cook, but this dish only takes about 45 minutes. The mix of the risotto being hot and the zucchini being cold gives a good balance to the dish.

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Pork Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onion and Monterey Jack Cheese

2 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 1/4 oz. cilantro
  • 1 roma tomato
  • 1 lime
  • 5 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 10 oz. ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon fajita spice blend
  • 1 bouillon cube
  • 1.5 oz. tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoon sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 6 flour tortillas
  • 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • pepper

Fajita Spice Blend (there will be extra for future use)

  • 4 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or less to taste

Directions

Wash and dry all produce. Halve and peel onion; very thinly slice one half and finely chop other half. Core, deseed, and dice poblano into 1/2 inch pieces. Roughly chop cilantro. Dice tomato. Halve lime; cut one half into wedges.

In a medium bowl, combine sliced onion, vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon water. Stir until sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Heat another drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add poblano and chopped onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Return pork to pan along with Fajita spice, tomato paste and 1/4 cup water. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until mixture is thickened and saucy, 1-2 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, a squeeze of juice from lime half to taste, and a pinch of chipotle powder. Stir in water 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30 seconds.

Divide filling, tomato, Monterey Jack, cilantro, pickled onion and crema between tortillas. Serve with lime wedges.

Recipe originally found on Hello Fresh.

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Sourdough Bread Stuffing

6-8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound loaf sourdough bread
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/2 inch thick in both directions
  • 2-4 stalks celery with leaves, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • salt
  • ground pepper
  • 1 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems
  • 10-12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.

Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes and spread it evenly on 2 baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven until completely dry and beginning to crisp and brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-heat. Add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add celery, onion, 2 tablespoons butter and thyme.

Once the butter has melted, cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add sage and remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl. Pour the chicken broth mixture over the bread cubes and toss to combine until the bread cubes absorb the liquid.

Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and sprinkle with parsley.

Bake in the center of the oven until heated through and the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove the stuffing from the oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe originally from my sister.

This is one of my family’s staples for Thanksgiving dinner. It has become so popular over the years, that sometimes we have to double the recipe!

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Spinach Quiche

3-4 servings

Ingredients

  • 10 oz. package of frozen spinach quiche
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/2 pint heavy cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 to 1/3 pound shredded Swiss cheese
  • dash of pepper
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • deep-dish pie shell

Directions

Cook and drain 10 oz. package of chopped spinach. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together, except spinach and cheese. Then mix in spinach and cheese. Pour into deep-dish pie shell.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the filling has slightly browned.

Recipe originally from my mom.

Wrap up a piece or two in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for a future dinner. Reheat the quiche for 2 minutes or until hot.

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Sugar Coated Pecans

8-10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 pound pecan halves
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease one baking sheet.

In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Recipe originally from my sister.

These pecans remind me of the “fancy” nuts you can get at sporting events.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

8-10 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake sweet potatoes for about 1 hour or until tender. Let cool to touch; peel and mash sweet potatoes.

Change oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Beat mashed sweet potatoes, sugar and next 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish.

Combine cornflakes cereal and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle diagonally over casserole in rows 2 inches apart.

At 350 degrees, bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle alternate rows with marshmallows. Bake 10 additional minutes. Let stand minutes before serving.

Recipe originally from my sister.

My sister, Lauren, hosts the most amazing Thanksgiving every year. Our family is split on potatoes for Thanksgiving: mashed potatoes vs sweet potato casserole. This side dish definitely makes us sweet potato fans happy.

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Tomato Salad

6-10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • 3 large tomatoes, sliced thin

Directions

In a rectangular container, layer the tomato slices. Combine 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water, about a teaspoon of oil, salt, pepper, onions and parsley and pour over tomatoes. Put in refrigerator and let the tomatoes absorb the dressing overnight.

Recipe originally from my mom.

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