Quick and Delicious Ravioli Soup

A quick and delicious soup that puts a good use to leftover veggies. Great on a cold day and hearty enough to fill you up served alone. 

Ingredients:

4 cups water

2 cubes or 2 tsp dry chicken bouillon

1 pound prepared fresh cheese ravioli

1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves

6 fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Place ravioli in the pot, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in spinach, mushrooms, carrot, frozen peas and carrots, olive oil, and soy sauce; cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Originated from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ravioli-Soup/Detail.aspx

Chocolate Pudding Fudge Cake

This creation evolved from both my husband and I wanting some good chocolate cake out of the blue. After trying a recipe we didn't really care for, we ended up combining things we liked from a couple different recipes together and adding and minus-ing a few little ingredients a long the way. We also made chocolate frosting to top it off but it's really good even without it. Enjoy!

2 cups flour

2 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or baking pan of your choice. (I made a 13x9 inch cake and cupcakes from this same batch, so it turns out a little larger than one 13x9 inch cake.

2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Add the sour cream, milk, oil, water, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed for 4 minutes. Mix in the chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan, or if using a Bundt pan, cook 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup cocoa

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3-1/2 cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

In a large saucepan, melt together the butter and cocoa. Stir until smooth. Using a mixer, alternately beat in powdered sugar and milk until frosting is smooth and creamy. Stir in vanilla and salt.

Tirza Hellyar

Orzo Salad with Lemon, Feta and Pine Nuts

This salad is light and flavorful, really a perfect summer dish. Accompanies main dishes nicely including grilled chicken or fresh broiled fish. The grocery store was out of fresh basil the day I shopped for the ingredients so I used 2 teaspoons dried basil instead, although fresh basil tastes much better!

Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 cup orzo

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

3 tablespoons finely chopped pitted oil-cured black olives

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

2 ounces feta cheese, drained and crumbled

1. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, the 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and the sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Fill a large pot three fourths full of water. Bring to boil over high heat and add kosher salt. (A good recommendation is 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt per quart of water.) Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender but still firm to the bite, 8-10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put the pine nuts in a dry small skillet over medium-low heat. Shake constantly until evenly toasted on all sides, about 5 minutes.

4. Drain the orzo and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the dressing to the hot pasta and toss to coat. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Add the pine nuts, Raisins, olives, red onion, and basil and stir to combine. Add the feta and toss lightly. Adjust the seasonings with more kosher salt and pepper as necessary.

Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook

Dutch Oven Sweet and Sour Chicken

While we were out camping over the weekend we tried out some dutch oven recipes. I actually forgot a few things including the rice to serve it over, but what's camping if you didn't forget something, right? I halved this recipe since it seemed a little large for the three of us. And even eating it without rice was great! All the recipes we tried were really good but this one especially. Brad insisted that I post it to share. And I think it would even be great making it on the stovetop so I plan on trying that out next.

Side-note: I ended up putting extra coals on top to speed up the cooking process since I am an impatient person, but I don't think it was necessary.

1 lb. bacon

6 chicken breasts, skinless/boneless

1 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

12 oz. ketchup

4-5 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 tablespoon season salt

1/2 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup bamboo shoots, drained

16 oz. pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

12’’ Oven

With 12 coals on bottom and 12 on top, add bacon and cook until done. Drain grease. Add chicken, onion, and green pepper. Cook together until chicken is done. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, cornstarch, season salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar and pineapple juice, bamboo shoots, pineapple tidbits and soy sauce. Mix in well. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and let mixture simmer down until thick, stirring often. Serve over rice.

White Chili

Our ward chili cook-off inspired me to look for something new to make. The bishops's wife and I made almost the exact same recipe, but she modified the amount of chicken broth and cayenne pepper and took first prize! This recipe reflects those adjustments. This is a really yummy recipe and I enjoyed making something a little different than the traditional red meat-red bean chili.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cooked, boneless chicken breast, chopped

2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

5 (14.5 oz.) cans great northern beans, drained (puree 2 cans of beans in blender)

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add the chicken, chicken broth, green chili peppers, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper and bring to boil.

2. Reduce heat to low and add the beans and pureed beans. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

3. Pour into individual bowls and top with cheese.

Originated from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/white-chili-ii-2/detail.aspx

Nutella Pinwheel Cookies

We are a household of Nutella addicts so we decided to find a recipe we could put our yummy nutella into cookies. I really liked this recipe. I'd go a little heavier on the Nutella next time, but still very good. The texture is similar to a shortbread cookie, and we all thought they were even better the next day!

Yield: 25-30 cookies

1 stick butter, softened

½ cup sugar


1 egg yolk


1 tsp vanilla

1 heaped cup sifted flour


¼ cup Nutella to spread, a little more won’t hurt, but be careful not to overdo lest it ooze!


2-3 tablespoon, toasted, chopped hazelnuts

• Preheat oven to 175C/350F.

• Mix the butter and sugar together till creamy.

• Mix in the egg yolk and the vanilla. The mixture should be light and well combined.

• Stir in the flour and refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes so that it can firm up and facilitate easy rolling.

• Next, roll out the dough into a rectangle of ¼ inch thickness.

• Spread the Nutella making sure to leave one finger space on all four sides. Again, we don’t want the Nutella to ooze out!

• Sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts and roll up the dough.

• Refrigerate for another ten minutes before cutting the slices.

Lay the slices on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes till slightly golden at the edges. Baking time will vary depending on how thick you’ve cut them. Color is a good indication of doneness.

Originated from http://purplefoodie.com/nutella-pinwheel-cookies/

Really Good Chicken Fajitas

This a family favorite of ours, especially during the summer. It's quick and easy to make and we even make it on camp trips too! We just chop everything ahead of time and bring some topping and tortillas and eat outdoors in-style!

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large bell peppers, julienned

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

4 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 jalapeño, seeded and diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Sauté onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper in olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until very peppers are tender (15 minutes or longer.) Add lemon juice, chopped cilantro, spices and chicken and cook 2 minutes longer.

Serve over warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Note: Any bell peppers will do, but I usually use a mix of red, yellow and green.

Shared with me by Teri Gerber

Icy-Cold Banana Milk

This is perfect on a hot day, light and refreshing but not as heavy as a shake!

2 cups milk

2 bananas

1/4 cup maple syrup

a handful of ice cubes

Place in blender and blend until frothy, about 1 minute. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Savory Spaghetti

This was a recipe that resulted from some creativity in the pantry. I didn't have what I usually use to make my regular spaghetti. So I improvised and the result was actually quite tasty! The herbs used in this spaghetti give it a yummy robust flavor. The sugar is used to cut the acidity of the the tomatoes and it also adds just a hint of sweet to the sauce.

2 tbsp. olive oil

6-8 large mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage (or a mix of the two)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

3/4 tablespoon salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. savory

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp marjoram or sweet basil

1 tbsp. sugar

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, (If adding meat, remove onion and garlic mixture from pan and brown meat.) Add onion and garlic mixture back to pan and add spices, herbs and sugar. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until all is combined. Cover and let simmer until sauce thickens and tomatoes are tender, about 1/2 an hour.

Serve over your choice of cooked angel hair or spaghetti pasta.

Tirza Hellyar

Belgian Waffles

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

3 eggs (separate yolk and egg white and save whites until the end.)

2 cups milk

In a Medium size bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add oil, vanilla and milk.

In a separate bowl mix baking powder and salt. Gently stir dry mixture into wet mixture until well blended.

Beat eggs whites until soft peaks form. Slowly fold egg whites into batter mixture until evenly incorporated. (Do not overmix.)

Cook in waffle iron until golden brown, serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Super Chocolatey-Chip Cookies

I originally posted this recipe on my family blog then I realized I should start a food blog since I'm always cooking something up and would like to share it. I came up with this recipe after trying a bunch of different chocolate chip cookies. I knew what I liked in a chocolate chip cookie, including an insane amount of chocolate chips! So I finally figured out a recipe that gave me all of the things in chocolate chip cookies that I love. A little chewy and little crunchy; they have lots of chocolate chips in every bite! WARNING: the dough is very addictive and you may be burned out on cookie-dough by the time the cookies get out of the oven!

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

4-4 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together soft butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and well blended.

2. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to creamed mixture. Blend until well mixed. Start with 3 cups of flour and add more flour until desired consistency is reached. (I like less sticky dough for rounder, higher cookies.) If dough does not have enough flour, cookies will tend to bake very flat and sometimes run together.

3. Add chocolate chips and mix by hand until chocolate chips are equally mixed in.

4. Spoon small spoonfuls of dough onto a greased baking sheet. Press down tops slightly. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-12 minutes until golden-brown on the tops.

Makes about 60 2 1/2-3 inch cookies

Tirza Hellyar

Apricot Tart

This is versatile recipe. It can be changed to adapt to the fruit that's in season. For instance, you could use peaches or apples with crumbled oatmeal cookies or vanilla wafers instead of nectarines and gingersnaps. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream served over top of a warm tart along with a little caramel drizzle is pure and simple perfection. Enjoy.

Makes 2 Tarts

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (10 inches square), such as Pepperidge Farm

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons ginger snap crumbs (about 2 cookies)

1 ripe yet firm nectarine, halved, pitted and cut into about 16 very thin slices, each about 1/8 inch wide

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 pinches cinnamon

1 tablespoon apricot jam (without chunks)

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray.

2. Remove the sheet of puff pastry from the freezer. Using a heavy knife cut the pastry in half crosswise and return the remaining half to the freezer for later use. Lay the pastry flat, let thaw, and cut it in half again crosswise, creating two 5-inch squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Fold the sides of each pastry square about 1/2 inch towards the center. Use your index finger to make indentions and lightly squeeze the dough around your finger, creating a fluted effect around the edges. (This forms a “little boat” for the nectarines.) Brush the edges of the tarts with the beaten egg mixture.

4. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs evenly in the center of each pastry. Fan 8 slices of nectarines, slightly overlapping in the center of each pastry. Sprinkle each tart with 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Warm the apricot jam in a microwave until warm and syrupy, about 10 seconds. Drizzle evenly over the nectarines. Dot each tart with 1/2 teaspoon of the butter and bake until the crust is golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Let cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Best Ever Chicken Pot Pie

There are a few things that really make this recipe. The mushrooms, the tarragon and making a roux as the base thickening agent for the sauce vs. a condensed soup are what make this pot pie taste unique and give it a little something different. I included a recipe for pie crust that I always use and it works great! This recipe was the result of discovering a chicken sauce similar to this served over cornbread and after making a few minor adjustments and Brad's suggestion, merged it with a pot pie recipe I had liked and used before.

Prepare Pie Dough in Advance.

Pie Crust for a 9’’ Two-Crust Pie:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup + 2 tbsp. shortening

1/2 cup cold water

Filling:

1 cup fresh peas or (9-ounce) package frozen peas

1 large carrot, sliced

1 large leek, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup apple cider

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 tsp. dried tarragon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions for Pie Crust:

Mix flour and salt together. Add Shortening and cut in till well mixed and becomes an even crumble texture. Slowly add cold water 1 tbsp at a time until dough holds together well but is not sticky. Depending on the temperature, climate, etc. you may have to add more water to get dough that holds together well.

Cut dough in half, roll 1^st half out sandwiched between two sheets of wax paper. Remove one side of wax paper and slowly lay dough into bottom of deep dish or pie pan. Remove wax paper. Roll out 2^nd half of dough the same way and keep sandwiched in wax paper until ready to top off pie.

Directions for Filling:

Combine peas, carrots, leaks, mushrooms and broth in a medium saucepan. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender. Drain, reserving vegetables and broth.

Make a roux by melting butter in saucepan over medium heat, slowly whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved broth, milk and apple cider. Reduce heat.

Cook, whisking continually, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add Chicken, vegetables, tarragon, salt and pepper.

Pour into unbaked pie shell and top with 2^nd crust. Make a few slits on top of crust before baking.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden brown. Halfway through baking if the crust is browning too fast, cover with foil to avoid burning.

Tirza Hellyar

Oatmeal Chocolate Delights

Came up with these on FHE night. Oatmeal cookies sounded good but the same recipe I'd been using wasn't cutting it this time. So I threw together what I had and this is what I came up with. Chewy and a little crunchy at the same time but not overly sweet. The chocolate chunks add a little surprise too.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 cups flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup milk chocolate chunks

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together butter, shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa and mix until well blended. Add Oats and mix well, followed by the chocolate chunks.

Place rounded spoonfulls onto greased cookie sheet and press down tops slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, allowing them to cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar while still warm.

For a little variation on this cookie, consider replacing the unsweetened cocoa with your favorite hot cocoa powder. It would give it a little different chocolate flavor and sweeten it up a little more if you like your cookies to be sweeter!

Tirza Hellyar

Stuffed Manicotti

I always enjoy making this traditional Italian recipe. It's a nice way to fill my craving for something yummy and Italian, but something different than same old spaghetti or lasagna. The tomato sauce mixes with the filling when you eat it and ends up a little like tomato cream. It's very yummy and easy to make. It can even be prepared ahead of time then popped in the oven right before you are ready to eat.

12 Jumbo manicotti shells

2 eggs, beaten

1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Cook pasta according to package directions for half the time; drain, rinse and drain again. Set aside.

Mix eggs, ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning in a bowl.

Stuff pasta with cheese mixture and arrange in a large greased baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix tomato sauce, basil and garlic powder.

Pour sauce over stuffed pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Pasta with Pesto, Shrimp and Sweet 100S

This pasta dish has a great, light pesto flavor throughout. It's a nice, not too flavorful dish, but distinct enough to be served as the main dish. Light garlic sourdough bread compliments this dish nicely.

Serves: 2

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

8 ounces angel hair pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup pesto, homemade or purchased

1 cup halved sweet 100S or other cherry tomatoes

Grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving.

Lemon wedges for garnishing

Fill a large saucepan three fourths full of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the kosher salt. (I add 1 -1/2 teaspoons kosher salt per quart of water.) Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, about 4 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Heat the olive oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and add the garlic. Continue cooking until the shrimp is opaque in the center, about 1 minute more. Add the reserved cooking water and the pesto and stir until incorporated. Add the pasta and tomatoes and toss to combine. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the pasta between two plates and top with cheese. Garnish each with a lemon wedge.

Peanut Butter Pie Sealed with Kisses

I discovered this pie one day while I was in a peanut butter mood. The filling turns out like a peanut butter mouse, really light and not too sweet. The chocolate kisses blend nicely and if you want, you can make your own chocolate sauce to drizzle instead of using Hershey's.

Crust

30 Vanilla or chocolate wafers

1/3 cup lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter at room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 chocolate kisses

Chocolate sauce for drizzling

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

TO MAKE CRUST:

Combine the wafers and peanuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and process until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse a few times until incorporated. Using your fingers, press the mixture evenly into the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish, pressing it firmly. Bake until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pie dish to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING:

Put the peanut butter in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on a medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. The cream should slowly fall over foreword when lifted with a whisk. Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in about half of the week cream mixture into the peanut butter. Then transfer this mixture into the remaining whip cream mixture and beat on medium-high speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour the filling into the cooled crust and spread evenly. Arrange the chocolate kisses in a circular fashion on the outside edge of the filling, 1/2 inch in from the crust. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or as long as overnight. Slice and serve with an artful drizzle of chocolate sauce.