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Chicken Soup

It's always a good day for soup. This is a great recipe for cold weather, or dealing with the common cold. Assemble the ingredients and let them simmer until you are ready to eat. Ingredients: 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 stalks of celery 1 cup sliced rainbow carrots 1/4 cup green onions finely diced 1 32 ounce container low salt chicken broth 3 packets Herb-ox no salt added chicken bullion 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon parsley 1/4 teaspoon pepper Begin by dicing the chicken breast into 1/2 inch cubes.  Pre-heat a large stock pot over medium heat for several minutes. Add the chicken, onions, and olive oil to your pot. Cook until the chicken is white and 165 degrees. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for half an hour. Stir occasionally. If you would like noodles, prepare them according to the package directions. When ready to serve, add noodes to bowl and top with soup. Enjoy.

Chili Time

It's getting cold here in Florida , and that means chili time. If you have the time, nothing beats home made chili. Today is not one of those days. Today I start with my go to chili mixes, Carroll Shelby's Chili Fixin's. I do add a few ingredients, but if you are pressed for time, this is a great mix as it is. Ingredients; 1/2 package of Carroll Shelby chili mix 2 pounds ground beef 1/4 cup roasted Hatch green chilies 1/4 cup baby Vidalia sweet onions, diced 1/4 cup yellow and/or orange bell peppers, diced 1 can diced tomatoes 1 12 ounce can tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon molasses 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon dark chocolate infused sea salt Start by browning the ground beef in a large pot. When the meat is brown, add the onions and peppers. Roast for several minutes until the vegetables soften and turn translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for one half hour. Hatch chilies have a smooth but intense heat. The brown sugar and molas

Sous Vide Sweet Corn

If you are lucky enough to own a sous vide cooker, this is a quick recipe to produce great corn on the cob. Sous vide cooking can be used for much more than just meat. Vegetables can benefit from this cooking method too.  Ingredients: 2 ears of fresh corn on the cob 1 teaspoon butter Pinch of salt (optional) Shuck the ears, then place the corn in the vacuum bag. Add a teaspoon of butter, I like to slice it in several thin pieces. Add salt, if desired, then vacuum seal the ears of corn. Set you cooker for 30 minutes. If the corn floats, weigh it down. I find you don't need much weight, I use a Pyrex measuring cup filled with water. When the timer hits zero, CAREFULLY   remove the bag. Remember the water is 185 degrees, use tongs so you don't get burned. Let rest a few minutes, then cut open the bag and plate the corn. Enjoy.

Texas French Toast

I have already posted a recipe for French toast. This one uses Texas toast slices for the bread. It is made slightly different then my previous post. Ingredients: 3 eggs 4 slices of Texas toast 1/4 cup half and half 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  cinnamon for dusting your favorite topping Begin by whisking the eggs and half and half. When well mixed, add the vanilla extract. Place the bread in a toaster oven for about a minute. You don't want to toast it, just slightly dry it out. This will help it hold together. Add the bread on slice at a time, coating both sides. Lightly dust your dredged bread with cinnamon. Preheat griddle for several minutes. The pan is ready when a drop of water dances on the surface. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and continue with the rest of the slices.  Add for favorite toppings and enjoy.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

The holidays are a difficult time if you are dieting. My wife saw a recipe for a low-carb lasagna in a magazine, and asked me to make it. I read it and thought, it just wasn't lasagna. I went through the pantry looking for ingredients that would create a healthy and delicious meal. There are two ways to make the noodles. You can slice them by hand, or you can do it the way I do, with a vegetable sheet cutter on my KitchenAid mixer. Once you get the hang of using the sheeter, it's a breeze to slice long ribbons of vegetables that can be sliced to your desired length. Ingredients: 8 to 12 sheets or slices of butternut squash 2 cups fresh spinach 1 can spaghetti sauce 1 can diced tomatoes 4 cups fat free mozzarella shredded cheese 1 pound ground turkey breast 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 cup diced black olives 1 cup finely diced butternut squash 1 teaspoon olive oil cooking spray  Begin by cutting your "noodles&qu

Green Bean Tomato Saute

This is an easy recipe for quick side, with lots of flavor. It can been made at the last minute, but tastes like you spent all day creating it. Ingredients: 1/2 pound fresh green beans 6 grape or cherry tomatoes halved 1 teaspoon clarified butter 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon bacon bits Begin by preheating a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add butter, and allow to melt. Add green beans and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir beans occasionally. Once beans have slightly darkened, add garlic and bacon. Cook for about two more minutes, then add tomatoes. When the tomato skins start to blister, remove from heat. Stir once more, then serve.

Salted Caramel Cookies

I have a few weaknesses. One of them is caramel. Caramel corn, caramel sauce, caramel candies, you get the picture. These cookies have been in development for several months. Creating a cookie that tastes like caramel is not easy. My first few attempts smelled like caramel, but tasted like flour. Finally, I think I got it. The key is replacing the sugar with ground up Werther's Original hard candies. This sugar substitute combined with canned dulce de leche, give just the right flavor. Ingredients: 1 cup ground Werther's original candies (about 35 candies) 1 can dulce de leche caramel sauce 2 1/2 cups pastry flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 stick of melted butter 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup of brown sugar Begin by creaming the butter, ground candy and brown sugar until smooth and velvety. Add dulce de leche and beat for a few more minutes, until well combined. Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Slowly add flour mixtu