Chad's Stuffed Tomatoes

So it has been awhile since we've added anything to our family's list of recipes.  I wanted to add a dish I made recently using another as a base and improvising a bit.  The result turned out well and easily serves 4.  We added a bit of steak to the meal, but it would go just as well with a variety of other items, to include a simple bed of lettuce or arugula.

Ingredients:

• 4 Med. Tomatoes
• 1 2 oz pkg of herb goat cheese
• 1/2 cup shaved parmesan reggiano plus a bit more for topping
• 1 cup quinoa (cooked)
• Small handful of chopped parsley
• Small handful of chopped basil
• 2 (or more) cloves garlic, pressed
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, cut a 1 1/2 to 2 in hole in the top of each tomato and hollow out the insides (the less moisture the better, but really focus on the seed area).  Salt the insides to taste and set aside in a baking pan (I use a ceramic pie plate).
3. Chop your parsley and basil.
4. Place the goat cheese in a small to medium mixing bowl and add in the 1/2 cup of parmesan reggiano.
5. Add the warm to hot quinoa.
6. Add the parsley, basil, garlic, salt and pepper.
7. Mix well.
8. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture into each tomato.
9. Bake at 375 for ~20 minutes.
10. Top each with the left-over parmesan reggiano.
11. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
12. Serve warm.

Frankly, there are a ton of variations on this (different cheese, add spinach, replace the quinoa with bread crumbs, etc. etc.), but this was really good.

Lulu's Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I found this recipe on Pinterest and the original post is from here. I made some modifications. Adam and I love it! We both agree it's definitely creamy, so we usually pair it with a hearty biscuit or bread. We added way more veggies than the original recipe. I've used heavy cream instead of milk  before (what I had on hand)  and I think it's good, but would be just as good as regular milk. We ate this for leftovers and it was just as good. 

 According to the comments on the original blog, you can make it in the crockpot. After reading through the comments here's some adjustments: saute the onion and garlic beforehand (maybe add the flour at the end?), lessen the liquid, cook on low for 6 hrs., and add milk & cheese at the very end (cook no more than 30 minutes with the dairy). 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 celery stick, finely chopped (I did NOT add this, as I hate celery, but if you like it, add it)

1 -2 cloves, crushed garlic

4 cups chicken broth 

4 red potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

1 head of chopped broccoli

1/2 head of large cauliflower

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese, or your favorite cheese (I used Colby Jack)

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot. 

2. Add onions and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.

3. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  

4. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. 

5. Add broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Cook until tender. 

6. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. (I simmered for a while to thicken). 

7. Add milk and cook until soup is barely heated through. 

8. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve. (Make sure you do NOT boil, this will affect the texture of the soup.)

Josie's Oatmeal Carmelita Bars

From Josie: I made these for a co-workers birthday and they really are delicious.  And easy!  Ingredients 

• 2 cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups butter, melted (4 sticks)
• 1 jar caramel ice cream topping (Smucker’s or Hershey)
• ¼ cup Flour
• 1 pkg. semisweet chocolate chips (I use dark chocolate chips)

Instructions 1.    Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and melted butter; mix until crumbly. Reserve 1/3 of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in bottom of greased pan.

2.    Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine caramel topping and ¼ cup flour; blend well.

3.    Sprinkle crust with chocolate chips. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

4.    Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown (I had to bake it for 30 min.) Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars.

Amazing Caramel Sauce

This entry is from Grams:

I thought this worthy of passing along to Schrock's Shack and comes from Jack's sister Anita from the Champaign, IL area.
 

• 1 cup packed brown sugar (I use light brown)
•  1/2 Cup heavy cream
•  4 tbsp butter
•   pinch/ salt
•   1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Melt butter in pot, mix in brown sugar, cream, salt.
2. Cook over medium low heat and whisk gently for about 7 minutes or longer if you doubled.
3. I remove the pot from the heat, add vanilla and return to cook for another minute or so to thicken a bit more. 
4. Take it off the stove and store as you want.

 
 
Comments: SO many calories, I know,  but just a little on ice cream, apple slice dip, etc.

Janelle's Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground beef 

1 onion

1 pkg. taco seasoning (we only use McCormick's)

Diced tomatoes

Kidney beans

Lettuce

Cheese

Doritos

Robust Italian Salad Dressing

Sour cream

Avocados

Fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Brown one pound ground beef and diced onions.  

2. Add one pkg. taco seasoning.  Cool.

3. When cool, add:

    Diced tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes

    One can red kidney beans

    Head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

    1-2 c. Shredded cheese

    Combine and cool until ready to serve.

4. Right before serving, add lg. amount of crushed nacho-flavored Doritos chips and Robust Italian salad dressing.   The quantities are "to taste".  Can serve with sour cream, avocados and/or fresh cilantro.

Chicken Poppyseed

Mom requested I post this recipe, as this is a dish our family likes.

Ingredients: 

6-8 chicken breasts

2 can cream of chicken-mushroom soup OR 1 can chicken-mushroom soup and 1 cream of celery

16 oz. sour cream

2 Tb. Poppyseeds

2 cups Ritz crackers

½ cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Simmer chicken (Or bake it with olive oil, salt and pepper). 

2. Cool, break into bite sized pieces. 

3. Place in greased 9x13  pan. 

4. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. 

4. Combine Ritz Crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle over top and bake at  350° for 1 hour. 

Brianne's Citrus Cilantro Chicken

I have been browsing Pinterest for chicken ideas and combined two recipes that looked good. This was amazing and I think the entire family would love it!!! I surprised Adam and got a rave review! Serve in a quesadilla, as nachos, or on a salad.  I served mine with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts (I used two)

1/4c. Olive oil

1 lime, juiced

zest from 1/4 of the lime

3-4 cloves crushed garlic

1/4 onion or 1 shallot, chopped

Cilantro, chopped  (I used roughly 1/8-1/4 cup)

1-2 tb. Honey (can be left out or substitute orange juice)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a bowl. Wisk.

2. Add to ziplock bag with chicken.

3. Marinate 2-20hrs.

4. Grill.

Schrock Women's Chili

This recipe has brought me great comfort over the years. I learned to love it from Mom & Grandma. Each lady varies their recipe slightly and I also do the same. That's the beauty of this recipe, it can be easily tweaked to fit your tastes. You can add different types of beans, vary the type of meat, and/or add green pepper.  However, I feel that the base is there to provide a yummy chili recipe. If you're feeling like an Hoosier for a day, add pasta. I don't personally enjoy this, but it's an Indiana thing!

Ingredients:
3/4-1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 lg. can tomato juice
3-4 cans beans, drained (I normally use kidney, but  lately Adam has had me use 2 Kidney, 1 black bean)
chili powder
salt
pepper
Optional:
1 can petite diced tomatoes (include juice)
diced green pepper, added during the meat browning.

Directions:

1. In a large pan, brown the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add tomato juice, beans, tomatoes and chili powder (about 10 shakes).
3. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Taste along the way and adjust seasoning to taste.