beef stew

adapted (very liberally) from bhg.com; 6 servings

1 package stew meat (already cubed)
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 package baby carrots
1 can french-cut green beans (no salt added)
2 cups diced frozen onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can beef consomme
1 package egg noodles

1. salt and pepper meat. in a skillet, heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil and sear on med-high, then lower heat to cook meat through.

2. place meat in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. sprinkle with tapioca. stir in carrots, onions, and garlic. pour broth and consomme over meat mixture in cooker.

3. cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. add green beans (drained) 1-2 hours prior to serving. salt and pepper to taste and serve over bed of egg noodles.

notes: this was a new recipe that i totally winged b/c, as i went to make it, i discovered i didn't have any of the right ingredients. :) still, it came out pretty well and i'd make it again (although it wasn't a big hit with the kids). i seared the meat the night before to make my morning prep all the more easy. also thickened stew before serving with cornstarch paste because i felt it was a bit thin.

crawfish etouffee

recipe from chad

3 sticks butter
1/3 c flour
2 small yellow onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2/3 c bell pepper, diced
1/4 c green onion bottoms
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp garlic, diced
3 tbsp chicken boullion
1 lb crawfish tails
2 tbsp parsley
1/2 c green onion tops

1. make roux with one stick of butter and flour. cook for three minutes.
2. in large pot, melt 1 stick of butter and add all seasonings except green onion tops and parsley. cook until veggies are soft.
3. add 1 quart of water. bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
4. stir in roux. cook on medium for 3 minutes.
5. add crawfish, onion tops and parsley.
6. add last of butter and cook on low until ready to serve. serve over rice.

notes: this is de-li-cious! we always serve it over zataran's rice (it's an extra long grain and always cooks up perfectly).

chicken noodle soup

recipe adapted from friend, j.

about 1-1.5 hours from start to finish, although hands-on time is only about 30 min.

ingredients:
1 small yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2.5 cups chopped or diced carrots (i use a whole bag of frozen heb circle carrots or crinkle carrots)
2.5 cups celery
3-4 cups cubed or shredded chicken breast
4 cups of cooked pasta or rice (i use ww or multigrain plus pasta)
1 box (appx 18 oz) butternut squash soup
32 oz chicken broth
16 oz water (i always find a need more and just add until it looks right)
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. boil chicken, drain water and ickies, set aside. in same stock pot, sautee onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until tender.
2. add chicken and continue to saute.
3. add all liquids and bay leaves, bring to boil, and then lower heat to med. low. simmer for 45 minutes.
4. i add the pasta about 15-20 min into simmer time and let it cook until very soft (falling apart a bit). you can also cook pasta separately and add at the very end before serving.
5. salt and pepper to taste.

notes: i love, love this soup. i crave it. it makes plenty for leftovers and for freezing. everyone here loves it.

tonight's meal: wild rice turkey bake

recipe courtesy of busycooks.about.com via friend, b.

prep 20-30 min; baking time 40-50 min.

ingredients:

3 cups wild rice (i use one box of uncle ben's wild rice)

3 cups shredded cooked turkey (or chicken) (i cook then shred in food processor)

16oz. pkg frozen french cut green beans, thawed

17oz. jar alfredo sauce (i find this is the minimum amt of sauce needed to keep it moist...i usually use 1.5 jars, maybe because i never measure out the rice or turkey)

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (3-4 slices ww bread chopped in food processor)

1. preheat oven to 350. mix turkey, rice, green beans and alfredo sauce in large bowl.

2. place in 12x8 glass dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

3. bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until casserole bubbles at edges and bread crumbs are browned.

notes: the girl's like her mom and not a fan of her food all mixed up (however, mom likes this dish a lot). flavor of this dish is great, though. it's super easy and freezes well, too.

tonight's meal: spaghetti (with marilyn's meat sauce)

appx 30 min from start to finish.

ingredients:

1lb ground turkey or beef (we usually use turkey)

1/2 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp parsley

1/2 tbsp basil

3/4 tsp salt

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste + 1 can filled with water

1/2 tbsp sugar

angel hair/thin spaghetti noodles (we usually use whole wheat)

1. brown meat slowly.

2. add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer.

3. boil noodles, drain and top with meat sauce.

notes: this is also the meat sauce for the lasagna we make (the very first casserole i would ever eat!). it's definitely one of our go-to meals. the kids gobble it up (like they both had three helpings kind of gobbleitup). it's so easy, healthy, and tasty... you'll never serve a sauce from a jar again!

*bonus: add jar or two of carrots stage 1 baby food for extra hidden nutrition. it'll be your little secret. i usually leave out the sugar (or at least reduce it) when i do this.

tonight's meal: white bean turkey chili

(this recipe from hunt's tomatoes)

about 35 min from start to finish

ingredients:

1 pkg (20oz) lean ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans (150z each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed

2 cans (11.5 oz each) tomato-vegetable (v8) juice

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper/tony's to taste

shredded cheddar cheese to top, optional

1 spray large saucepan with cooking spray. add turkey, onion and bell pepper. cook and stir over medium heat about 8 min or until turkey is crumbled and no longer pink.

2. stir in remaining ingredients. bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. reduce heat to low; cover. simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

tonight's meal: santa fe soup

(modified from cooking light superfast suppers)

start to finish appx 30 minutes

ingredients:

1lb ground turkey, ground meat, or 2 cups burger-style veggie crumbles

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn

1 cup frozen chopped onion

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning

1/2 (1-ounce) package ranch-style dip mix (such as hidden valley)

2-3 cups water

1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced olives, drained

reduced-fat sour creme to garnish

1. saute onions then combine everything else except olives and sour creme in a large saucepan. bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. stir in olives.

2. serve with a dollop of sour creme on top.

*notes: i like to serve this with a slice of cheese bread (ww sandwich bread topped with a slice of cheddar cheese then broiled). it's a big hit and there's plenty for leftovers or freezing.