Creamy potato and cheese soup

This is a soup we've been making for nearly 13 years. I've tweaked it over the years to eliminate the butter and dairy, but it is still as good as ever!

5-6 potatoes, diced with skins on (or 1 bag southern style hashbrowns)

1/2 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup water

3 cups chicken broth (low sodium, if desired)

1 cup milk or unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup flour

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Place two tablespoons oil in a large saucepan and saute onion and garlic on medium heat for one minute, watching carefully to avoid burning the garlic.  Add 1 cup water, 2 cups chicken broth, and diced potatoes and let simmer until potatoes are tender.  Combine 1/4 cup flour with 1 cup milk and whisk until combined, getting rid of all chunks of milk. Slowly stir milk/flour mixture into saucepan and let boil on medium heat until thickened. Add small amounts of chicken stock until desired consistency is reached. Add shredded cheddar cheese and mix until combined. Salt and pepper to taste. I like to garnish with croutons or diced green onions! 

Mexican fish tacos with chipotle lime dressing

   I have to start by saying I have NEVER cooked fish in my life. In fact, I don't normally enjoy fish. BUT, these tacos were delicious. Even my kids LOVED them, and they have never even eaten fish. When they started asking for seconds and my husband said this was the best meal he'd ever had, I knew I had to post this recipe.

 

 

 

  There are four parts to this recipe, and I suggest you make the bean salsa and chipotle sauce a few hours in advance. 

 

For the Bean Salsa:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup corn

1-2 bunch of green onions, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2-3 tomatoes, diced

Combine above ingredients in a serving bowl, then in a separate bowl combine:

1 bunch cilantro, diced

2 T. olive oil

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 T. lime juice

1 1/2 t. minced fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

1/4 t. black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

Add above ingredients to bean mixture and stir well. Cover and chill for two hours.

For the chipotle lime sauce:

1/2 cup low-fat mayo

2 T. lime juice

1-2 t. chipotle pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and chill for two hours.

 

For the fish:

4-5 individually frozen tilapia, thawed

2 T. lime juice

1 T. melted butter or substitute

salt and pepper

cooking spray

 

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (You could also grill them, but we don't have a grill!) Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Place thawed tilapia a few inches apart on baking sheet. Combine 2 T. lime juice and 1 T. melted butter. Drizzle over both sides of tilapia. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until fish is flaky.

 

While the fish is baking...

For the crispy tortilla topping: (not pictured because my kids ate them all!)

5-7 white corn tortillas

oil for deep frying

salt

Cut uncooked corn tortillas into 1/2 inch by 2-3 inch strips. Heat a few inches of cooking oil in a deep pot. Once oil has reached frying temperature (about 170 degrees) place them in small amounts into the oil until lightly browned and crispy, then drain on a napkin and sprinkle with salt. If you want to skip this step you can use store bought chips, but these are light and crunchy!

 

To assemble tacos:

  There really are several choices in serving these tacos. We used whole wheat tortillas and warmed them on a skillet. You could also deep fry corn tortillas and stuff the them with the fish and bean salsa. Layer tilapia, bean salsa, and chipotle sauce in preferred tortilla, then top with crispy tortillas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Beans and Rice (vegan)

After watching "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix Instant Watch, my husband and I now eat mostly vegan meals.  This is one of our favorites.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 or 2 sprays of PAM
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
dash of Tabasco hot sauce (optional)
1 can red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes

For rice:  (45 minutes to prepare brown rice)

2 cups water
1 cup brown rice

Directions

Spray the PAM in a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell peppers are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the thyme, hot sauce, tomatoes and beans (I add some of the bean juice and all of the tomato juice) to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer for several minutes until sauce is thickened to your liking.

Prepare rice as usual (45 minutes to cook brown rice). Serve the beans over the rice.

Freezer Fudge....rich and even healthy! Susanna Winston

1 cup coconut oil
1 cup baker's cocoa
1 cup PURE maple syrup - I use the Sohgave maple flavored syrup which is much lower in carbs
1 t. vanilla
chopped nuts - makes it even healthier, but it's certainly optional

Mix with beater and spread onto a tray that has been covered with wax paper or butcher paper.  This fudge has to be frozen because coconut has a low freezing point.

I have a shallow plastic tray that I put my fudge in because it has a top.  This is my son's favorite fudge and all the grandkids love it too.

Healthy Chicken Salad - Susanna Winston

1 can chicken
2 stalks chopped celery
2 diced apples - or cranberries
1/4 diced onion

Blend with:
 1 1/4 T. lemon
3/4 T. olive oil
1 t. sugar (I like to use stevia)

Fruit Ambrosia - Susanna Winston

1 cup coconut
1 cup small marshmallows
1 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup grapes
1 cup drained fruit cocktail
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup cool whip
chopped pecans - optional (but makes it wonderful!)

Mix and chill before serving

Sweet & Sour Spareribs (or chicken) Susanna Winston

3 pounds spareribs or chicken....drumsticks and thighs are great
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 C. vinegar
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/2  C. sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 t. corn starch
1 piece crushed ginger

Brown meat and drain.  Mix other ingredients and pour over meat.  Simmer til tender, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.

Serve with rice and additional sauteed pineapple.

Easy-Does-It Meat Loaf - Susanna Winston

8 oz. ground beef chuck
2 T. grated onion
2 T. chopped parsley
3 T American chili sauce (not Tabasco...more like ketchup) reserving 2 T for the top.
1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
salt and pepper

Mix lightly, form into a loaf or put into a loaf pan.  Brush remaining chili sauce over the meat and bake for 30 - 45 minutes, or until cooked through, but do not overbake.  This is also delicious when refrigerated overnight and used for sandwiches.

Mock Peach Cobbler - Susanna Winston

Mix together:

1 cup Bisquick
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
juice of canned peaches

Spread mixture onto 8x8 square pan.  Top with chopped canned peaches.  Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream

Lemonade Pie - Susanna Winston

1 can frozen lemonade
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large carton thawed Cool Whip
1 graham cracker crust pie shell

In a bowl, mash lemonade with a fork.  Add condensed milk and Cool Whip.
Mix well and pour into the pie shell.  Garnish with more graham cracker crumbs, or with a sprig of mint and a thin slice of lemon.  Refrigerate.

A to Z Pasta Salad (vegan)

A to Z Pasta Salad

Susan D'Andrea

Ingredients

·       1 clove garlic, slightly crushed

·       1 pound penne or spiral pasta

·       1 cup asparagus or green beans, cut in 1" pieces 

·       2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices

·       1 red, yellow, or green pepper, chopped

·       8 ounces grape tomatoes

·       2 tsp. each:  basil, oregano, and parsley

·       your favorite fat-free or light Italian salad dressing, to taste

·       salt and fresh pepper, to taste

·       optional: sliced black olives, added just before serving

Instructions

1.    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Add a small amount of salt, if you want.) Once it boils, drop the asparagus or green beans and zucchini pieces into it and blanch for exactly 1 1/2 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon into a bowl filled with cold ice water.

Use the same pot of boiling water to cook the pasta according to package directions. Once it reaches the 
al dente stage, drain it in a colander and rinse it with cold water. Drain it well and add it to the vegetables. Add the chopped pepper, tomatoes, and herbs and toss with enough salad dressing to coat but not drown the pasta. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste, and serve chilled or warm.   

8 servings

Use any fresh vegetables you like:  broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, yellow squash, mushrooms, and artichokes. Try to use only fresh herbs, if you can get them, and use a salad dressing that you know you like.  The one unbreakable rule is to use only fresh vegetables and blanch them to soften slightly.