Spill the Beans Minestrone

Jolie gave me this recipe. I made it tonight and thought it was delicious. I found its even better after sitting for a while? I suppose you could always make it a crock pot meal too- Just add the noodles about 30 min before eating.  Excuse the cell phone picture- I couldn't find the camera. Atleast you got a picture, right? Oh, and dont forget to serve with SOME form of bread, this was a great dipping soup.

Spill-the-Beans Minestrone
1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 c. chopped celery

2 14.5oz cans chicken broth

1 15oz can of Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes

1 15oz can Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked small shell-shaped pasta (I used and loved Ditallini)

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (1 tsp. if using plain tomatoes)

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped kale, Swiss chard, or spinach (optional) (do it, though)

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)



In a soup pot, sauté onion, garlic, and celery in oil until translucent. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, pasta, and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Stir in chopped spinach. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Easy Baked Parmesan Tilapia

I am usually a fresh fish only sort of gal, but recently bought a package of frozen tilapia just to try it out. This recipe did it justice. I really liked it, although it definately would have been better fresh. :) I suppose it would work with other white fish as well.

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets, thawed if using frozen
salt
lemon pepper
3 T. butter (melted or room temp is fine)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
pat fish dry, season with salt and pepper. Lay on baking sheet with non stick spray. (usually when I cook fish, I put in on a wire rack ontop of a cookie sheet.) Cook for about 10 minutes or until fish is just under done. (the time will depend on how thick your fish is, but watch closely because you dont want to overcook fish...yuck.)
Meanwhile, mix butter and remaining ingredients.
Remove fish from oven and turn oven to broil. Gently flip each fillet and spread butter mixture on fish. Return to oven and broil for a couple minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Creamy Chicken, Bacon and Tomato Pasta

This was a little tangy and I especially liked the contrast of the bacon. It was yummy and something different.

Ingredients:
3 cups bow tie pasta (farfalle)
1 pound chicken, cut into bite size chunks
5 (or more...) slices bacon, reseve 1 T. grease
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
pepper and salt to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, cook chiken. Add bacon, tomatoes, cream cheese, water, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, a couple of minutes. Drain pasta, mix into sauce. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Morning Glory Muffins

(Recipe from Big Oven posted by Sherri)

These are great for breakfast or a between meal snack. Packed full of healthy stuff and fills you up. Substitute or omit to your liking, of course. I like to make a batch, freeze them, then pull out as needed and microwave for about 30 secs. Could also add shredded zuccini or something.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cups of sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 cups carrots, finely shredded
1 cup apples, shredded
1/2 c. raisins (or craisins)
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. finely shredded coconut (might want to chop it its course)
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil
2 t. vanilla

*optional substitution (I did this and it worked fine) lower sugar to 1/2 to 3/4 cup and trade half the oil for applesauce.

Instructions:
Stir together dry ingredients. Stir in fruit/veggies, nuts, coconut. In seperate bowl, mix eggs, oil and vanilla. Add liquids all at once and stir just until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups until almost full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the top of muffin springs back when lightly touched. After a few minutes out of the oven, pop out of pan and cool of wire rack.

Sweet Country Cornbread

Prepare to be amazed. This one is definitely a favorite in our family...cornbread!! This is better than out of the box, for sure. SO GOOOOD!

Ingredients:
1/4 c melted butter
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c corn meal (I'm a yellow corn meal sort of gal)
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (I add an extra pinch sometimes)
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Melt butter in bowl, add milk and egg, beat together. Make well in dry ingredients, add wet ingredients all at once. Stir gently just until moistened. Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Amazing Granola

Here is the most Nutty, fruity, healthy, hearty, flavorful granola I have ever eaten. The best part is it is so versitile. Switch it up with whatever you like.

The recipe came from my sister who got it off of All Recipes- posted by a Veronica S.

I halved and slightly altered her recipe. Here is my version:

*makes one large cookie sheet full -- enough to fill a large oatmeal container (which is what I keep mine in)
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup shredded coconut (I use sweetened)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (unsalted is better)

1/2 cup canola oil (can use part or all olive oil. I use slightly less...)
3/4 cup honey (I use slightly more...)
*opt. season with salt, cinnamon and/or vanilla. (I just put a little of all of these, to taste, maybe half a teaspoon)

1/2 cups rasins
1/2 cup craisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In large bowl, stir together first 9 ingredients. If you don't have some of these, just use more oats, instead. Or substitute more of one nut to make up for another. (*Winco is a GREAT place to buy all these ingredients, if you have one nearby)

In a small pan over medium heat, stir together the oil and honey and seasonings (if desired). cook and stir until blended. (Or melt together in microwave) Pour over the oat mixture and stir to coat evenly. Spread out in an even layer on large cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the oats and nuts are toasted. (more if you like it on the crispy side) Immediately after taking it out of the oven, stir in raisins and crasins. Let stand until cool, then stir again to break up clumps. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks.

This is yummy! I am addicted! I hardly go a day without eating a bowl of this.

This is how I store my granola. I covered a used oatmeal container with paper and used stickers for the label. I just wipe it out each time it gets empty to keep the oil residue from getting rancid.

Pumpkin Bread

This Pumpkin Bread is the bomb-diggity! Very moist and flavorful. Got the recipe online (Allrecipes.com) then moderated it a little. Here's my version:

This makes 6 mini loafs or 3 7x3 loaves. Could also make muffins.

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce (if you don't have it, just use full cup oil)
2/3 cup water
2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.