Amber's Minestrone Soup, Green Salad, Garlic Bread

Let Me Plan Dinner reader Amber submitted this minestrone recipe, a yummy Olive Garden knock-off she found at Recipe Zaar. I'll be serving it with a green salad and garlic bread. Too bad we don't have those Olive Garden bread sticks, too...

Here is the recipe from Recipe Zaar, scaled down to 4 servings.

1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 c minced white onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1/4 c chopped zucchini
1/4 c frozen cut italian green beans
2 T minced celery (about 1/4 stalk)
2 t minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 c vegetable broth (Swanson is good *note: Do not use chicken broth*)
1 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained
1/2 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 c carrots, julienned or shredded
1 T minced fresh parsley
3/4 t dried oregano
3/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1/4 t dried thyme
1 1/2 c hot water
2 c fresh baby spinach
1/4 c small shell pasta

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus trained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

*Holy cow, this was the best minestrone soup I have ever, ever tasted. The seasonings and veggies in this dish are just PERFECT. I thought the beans got plenty overcooked, but then again I had to make this in the morning, refrigerate all day, and then reheat at night due to scheduling constraints. I think this one is worth making the full 8-serving recipe and having again in a couple nights. Yum, yum, yum.

Brenna's Teriyaki Burritos, Broccoli, Cauliflower

This interesting recipe comes from LMPD reader Brenna, who got it from her coworker Katie. I can't wait to try such an interesting combination! I'll be serving these burritos with broccoli and cauliflower.

Here is Brenna's recipe:

Teriyaki Burritos

Marinate chicken in the following:

1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. water

Cook and serve burrito style with:

flour tortillas

tomatoes
diced avocado
cilantro (or for those who don't like cilantro, shredded lettuce)
fresh limes (microwave for 10 seconds if they're not juicy)
shredded mozzarella cheese
cooked rice

*I loved this flavor combination! My only addition to the recipe would be my own instructions for cooking the chicken:

Mix together soy sauce, sugar, and water. Refrigerate half the mixture in the fridge as sauce. Combine the remaining half with 3 chicken breasts cut into strips. Marinate in the fridge for an hour or overnight. Heat a pan over medium-high heat with cooking spray. Discard marinade. Saute chicken pieces until cooked through. Add reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Stir together 1 T cornstarch and a splash of water. Add to the pan, and cook a few minutes more until sauce thickens.

Jennifer's "I Want Seconds!" Italian Sausage Soup, Green Salad

This Italian sausage soup recipe comes from Let Me Plan Dinner reader Jennifer, who blogs at 3 Little Chicks. I'll be serving this soup with a green salad and maybe some kind of bread.


Here is Jennifer's recipe as she wrote it. Thanks for sharing!

1 pound ground Bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
10 oz. bag of shredded carrot
3 (14oz) cans of beef or chicken broth. (I used the lower sodium kind)
2 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic. (I used the no salt added kind)
1 (16oz) can red kidney beans-drained
1 (16oz) can of great northern beans- drained
6 oz (1/2 a box) Bowtie pasta

In a large pot, cook the sausage, onion and carrots together until sausage is browned and crumbles. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to med/low and simmer for 20 min. Add the pasta: simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Stir and serve immediately.

*Mmm! Thanks, Jennifer. I really did want seconds! This recipe was a delicious and easy soup. I will probably use half the sausage next time just to save on money and calories. This was a hit at our house.

Alison's Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Rice, Veggie Stirfry

This sweet and sour meatball recipe comes from Let Me Plan Dinner reader Alison. She says it was a family favorite growing up. . . you know, the kind where the kids fight over who gets the last meatball. :) I'm going to stirfry up some veggies using a little of this and a little of that (mostly using extra veggies I chopped for the Minestrone soup). Then I'll serve the meatballs over brown rice.


Here is Alison's recipe.


Meatballs:
1 1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 c. oatmeal
1/4 c. milk
2 T chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Mix all. Form into meatballs. Cook in skillet. Remove from skillet and drain fat.

Sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 big can pineapple tidbits (not as good with crushed)
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1/3 c. vinegar
1 small green pepper (I like to use an onion instead because I'm not a huge fan of cooked green peppers, but that's just my personal preference.)

Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, pineapple (and syrup), vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat. Add meatballs. Cover, simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in green pepper (and/or onion). Cover, simmer until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Sometimes it turns out a little thick, but if you just stir in water, it turns out delicious :) I hope you like it!

*We enjoyed making this meal! I would probably omit the pineapple juice or decrease the brown sugar, just because I prefer a little less sweet in my sweet and sour. Using onion instead of green pepper was an amazing idea! I thought the onion turned out perfect. If you still like green peppers, add them just a little later to the cooking time. Mmmm. Now I'm craving Asian.

Shannon's Tuna Biscuit Casserole, Green Salad, Broccoli

This casserole recipe comes from LMPD reader Shannon. She says it's a big hit with her kids! I'm not personally a huge fan of refrigerator biscuits in general, but I want to try it to see if my 1 1/2 year old will eat the tuna. We're always working on getting him to eat more fish!

I'll be serving this casserole with steamed broccoli and a green salad.

Here is Shannon's recipe as she wrote it:


1 can of refrigerated biscuits
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can tuna drained
1 c. milk
1 t. parsley
1 c. grated cheese

Mix the soup, milk, tuna, and parsley. Line the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish with the biscuits spaced about an inch apart. Pour the soup and tuna mixture over the biscuits. Top with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Alyssa's Falafels, Carrots Sticks, Cucumber Salad

Alyssa blogs at Cooking a la Mode, and my goodness, her pictures are beautiful. (Are you giving lessons, Alyssa?!) You can check out her falafel recipe post as well as her soft pita bread post for her comments and photos. I'll be serving these falafels with carrot sticks and a cucumber salad (see Tianna's comment), and I couldn't be more excited to try the whole meal!


Here are Alyssa's recipes, as she wrote them on her blog:

Falafels
-Alyssa Griffeth-

1 can chickpeas
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 Tbs. fresh parsley
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c.+ flour
vegetable oil for frying

1 recipe of Soft pita bread (or store bought pitas-- If you're in a pinch)
English cucumber slices, quartered
tomato, diced
shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
ranch dressing

Place chickpeas and onions in a food processor. Pulse until almost smooth. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, red pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until well-blended but not pureed.

Remove chickpea mixture and place in a bowl. Sprinkle in the baking powder and flour, and gently mix. Add enough flour so that the dough can form a small ball without being too sticky. Refrigerate, covered, while you heat the oil and chop the veggies. Mixture can easily be made several hours ahead of time.

Using a small cookie dough scoop sprayed with Pam, form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts (you should have about 16-18 balls). Flatten between greased hands, until each ball becomes a 3 inch circle.

Heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a deep pan (I always use a candy thermometer to make sure my oil temperature stays consist ant) and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 5 balls at a time for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Stuff warm pita bread with 2-3 falafel balls and all vegetable toppings. Add a generous amount of ranch dressing and serve hot.

Soft Pita Bread
Adapted from: King Arthur Flour

*Makes 8 flatbreads

3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. boiling water

1/4 c. potato flour OR 1/2 c. potato flakes
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. INSTANT yeast

Place 2 cups of the flour into a large mixing bowl (or Kitchen Aid). Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes. This process will cook out some of the starch, making the bread very soft and pliable.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several (5-7) minutes to form a soft dough. Add additional flour only if necessary-- The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat soft. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour. (Note: Since this is a flatbread, the dough will not rise very much due to the small amount of yeast-- But it should still rise noticeably.)

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each around 3-4 oz.-- I use my kitchen scale for this), cover, and let rest on an oiled surface for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into an 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until they’re flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Stack the cooked bread in between a soft, clean towel to keep them warm and soft. Serve immediately, or cool before storing in a plastic bag.

Kimberly's Boneless Buffalo Wings, Corn on the Cob, Fruit Salad

Happy Memorial Day! This boneless buffalo wing recipe comes from LMPD reader Kimberly. You can check out her recipe blog, Chez Fruge. I'm excited to serve these buffalo wings with chips, corn on the cob, and a fruit salad. Sound like a good holiday to you, too?

Here is Kimberly's recipe, as she wrote it on her blog. I will definitely be using less oil because I don't have a fryer. I will also be leaving some of these without sauce for the little one (he doesn't do spicy quite as well.

1 1/2 – 2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 boneless skinless chicken breast
7 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

In medium bowl, mix flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne red pepper, and paprika.
In small bowl, mix egg and milk.
Slice chicken breast into small bite size pieces.
In your deep fryer or skillet, pour in the oil (mine took 7 but it’s a wider fryer – you may need more or less depending on the size of your fryer or skillet).

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Dip the chicken pieces into the egg and milk mixture and then the flour mixture. Repeat this process to double-coat each piece.
Arrange chicken on a plate and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
When 15 minutes is up, carefully place the chicken into the oil and fry for 5-6 minutes (depending on how big you made the pieces) until they are brown. (My fryer fit 7-8 pieces at a time.)
Remove chicken from fryer when browned (and cooked through) and place them on a plate lined with paper towel.
In a microwave safe bowl (one with a lid – you will need it later), combine hot sauce and butter and microwave until butter is melted (about 25 seconds). Stir.
Put the chicken in the bowl with the sauce mixture and cover with the lid. Shake well to coat each piece.
Serve with Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing

*Thanks, Kimberly, for a yummy recipe! We liked feeling like we were eating out for a night.

BreAnne's White Chicken Chili, Fritos, Veggie Kabobs

This white chicken chili recipe is from reader BreAnne. I'll be serving this chili with tortilla chips and some grilled veggie kabobs (I'm thinking red onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms!).

Here is BreAnne's recipe as she wrote it, but scaled by half. I'll be substituting milk for the cream.


1 can canellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 can black beans
about 1/4 cup chopped onions (or more if you like onions)
about a clove of minced garlic
about 1-2 large chicken breasts
about 1 can chicken broth
1/2 to 1 can green chiles, diced
about 1/2 tsp of cumin
sometimes I add a dash or two of paprika or some chili powder or both (go by the smell of them together)
about 3/4 cups cream
around 1 tbsp cornstarch (mix with some of the cold cream)
salt and pepper to tastiness
a sage leaf
Fritos
Sour Cream

Saute the onions and garlic and add the chicken with S&P and cook. Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the chicken broth and and the rinsed beans, and the sage leaf, cumin, salt and pepper, sometimes i throw in a little paprika, the can of green chiles. simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the cream. Add the cornstarch and cream mix and bring to a boil, then let simmer until you are ready to eat it.
Put some Fritos in a bowl and ladle some chicken chili over it. Dollop on some sour cream and if you like any green adornments (like cilantro or parsley) you can add that on top too!
Enjoy!

Feel free to add or subtract and adapt in any way you like, it always turns out great!

*This was such a fantastic, flavorful soup! It seemed so bright and fresh, perfect for summertime. The Fritos in the bottom of the bowl were a really nice addition in terms of flavor and texture. I used chopped cooked chicken I already had on hand, but followed the recipe otherwise. Thanks, BreAnne!

Trimble's Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade Rolls, Broccoli, Peas

This chicken noodle soup recipe comes from LMPD reader Trimble. You can find it posted on her blog, Dinner Time Ideas. I was intrigued by how thick the soup looks in her picture; I can't wait to try it out!

I will be serving this soup with Grandma's homemade rolls, steamed broccoli, and microwaved frozen peas.


Here is Trimble's post, copied from her blog:

2 T butter
1 c sliced celery
1 c chopped carrot
1/2 t onion powder (or 1/2 cup chopped onion if you prefer)
1 small diced potato
1 teaspoon thyme (if you don't have this go to the store, do not leave this out)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (again, go to the store)
4 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 lb or 1 1/2 c noodles (penne are my favorite)
2 c cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1/2-3/4 c water

First I like to cook my chicken in a slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours. Put two small chicken breasts in, fill the slow cooker about 1/3 full with water and sprinkle in 1 1/2 teaspoons of onion salt. After the chicken is done, either shred or dice and set aside. On high heat, melt butter in a large pot and saute celery, carrot and onion powder for two minutes. Add potato, thyme, poultry seasoning, chicken broth and bouillon. Bring all to a boil. Add the noodles and chicken and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Depending on how thick you want this to be, add up to 3/4 c water. It's pretty thick if you don't add any extra water due to the noodles.

*This soup was delicious! I loved the strong flavor and thick texture. I threw my peas into the soup, just for more veggies. Thanks for a yummy chicken noodle recipe!

Shannon's Chicken Enchiladas, Green Salad, Corn

This chicken enchilada recipe is from Let Me Plan Dinner reader Shannon. She got the recipe from The Sister's Cafe. Thank you, Shannon, for sharing a favorite recipe!

I'll be serving these enchiladas with a green salad and corn.

I am so excited to try this recipe! I will be making a few minor adjustments to help fit our budget.

• First, I will be using about half as much cheese, maybe less (I planned a couple other cheesy dishes this week and I don't want to go overboard).
  
• I will be sticking with only 2 chicken breasts, and possibly throwing in a can of white beans to up the protein.
  
• I will also use milk instead of cream.

Here is Shannon's recipe verbatim:

Honey Lime Enchiladas
Marinade:
1/4 c. honey
4-6 T. lime juice (depending on how tangy you like it)
1 T. chili powder
1/2 t. garlic powder

2-4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 (15 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
2 c. shredded Colby Jack (or whatever kind you have) cheese
1 c. heavy cream (I've used whole milk before too and it's fine)
8-10 flour tortillas

Mix up the marinade and toss with shredded chicken. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. I toss mine together in a gallon ziploc and let it sit in the fridge all day.

Pour about 1/2 c. enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill tortillas with chicken and a little cheese. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and any leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until browned and crispy on top.

*Oh my goodness, these are delicious! I was a doofus and forgot to mix the milk/cream into the enchilada sauce, but the dish was fabulous even without. The honey-lime mixture is so flavorful and balances well with the other flavors in the dish. I will add one word of warning, however; I would not suggest you taste the honey-lime-chicken mixture by itself. I was trying to gauge how much lime juice to add (I used 5 T.), but I can tell you that the marinade is so powerful by itself that you think you've already gone overboard. I was quite relieved to find the final dish was so well balanced and tasty-- not overpowering like I'd feared. I also really enjoyed my addition of Great Northern (white) beans to the filling. I think they helped keep all the flavors in check, and they provided us extra protein without using as much meat.

Anyway, thank you, Shannon. It was a hit!