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Make a Weeknight Meal Special Challenge

January 29, 2012

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One of the best things about the cooler weather this time of the year is that it also means it’s soup season! I love soup. I am a creamy girl at heart but knowing that’s not always the healthiest route it’s good to keep your options open and not discount vegetable based soups.

Bertolli recently came out with a new line of frozen meals called Meal Soup. They offer four different varieties to choose from.

Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken & Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken and Tuscan-Style Beef with vegetable.

Here are a few facts about Bertolli

·      Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups are hearty and fresh-tasting with vegetables, meats, pasta and herbs individually flash frozen at the peak of freshness.
·      Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups are available in the frozen aisle, and can be prepared on your stovetop in minutes.
·      With robust flavors and rich textures, new Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups are available in four varieties: Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken & Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef with Vegetables.

Since this is a fairly new product and I live in a small town I was only able to locate one store out here that carried them, and was shocked to see that out of the shelf provided for the soups only one remained. I took that as a good sign that people are enjoying them. If you are worried that the soups aren’t carried in your area click here and you can search for a local store that carries the soups. The one that was left on the shelf was the Tomato Florentine & Tortellini with Chicken. Quite honestly even if they had all four in stock I probably would have bought the same one because I am a sucker for tomato soup. I also thought that since it had the tortellini in it then the kids would be more willing to try it.

I was challenged to make a special meal with Bertolli Soups and do so in under an hours time. One thing I love about doing soup for dinner is it goes with pretty much anything you can think of. The other night I made a chicken and pasta dish that fit right into the Italian theme and since I had plenty of leftovers I decided what better to pair the soup with then our left overs. And it saved me a lot of time just reheating the food as opposed to creating the whole meal.

Many people discount leftovers but they are great for many reasons. A lot of times the flavors become more intense because you’ve let everything sit together overnight. You can create a whole new dish with leftovers. And best of all, they save time!

Tips on keeping meal prep time down:

Growing up we always ate meals together as a family and I want that for my family. While not always possible since my husband works and attends school I try to get everyone together as often as I can. Some things that I have found that get the kids more excited is serving them in “grown up” dishes. We have three different sets of dishes. Plastic, Corel (glass but break proof glass) and our fancy set that my husband and I use. By serving the kids the Corel plates/bowls they feel more like big kids and what kid doesn’t love to pretend like they’re older so there is usually less of an issue in getting them all to sit down for dinner which saves me time in chasing them around.

Planning ahead is a BIG time saver when preparing a meal. Making sure you have all ingredients needed so if you find out you are missing one ingredient you wont have to make a mad dash to the store. If it’s something that requires a lot of chopping you can pre chop what you need the night before or in the morning, put them in Tupperware and in the fridge until needed later.

Also choose one day a week for an easy meal. Whether it be soup, salad, sandwiches, pizza, wraps, even spaghetti can be started in the afternoon and simmered on low until you’re ready for dinner. Just go for something that does not take a lot of prep time but is still tasty.

Now onto the good part, our meal. With my leftovers out and being reheated all I had to do was prepare the soup and dinner would be ready. Pay close attention because here’s the difficult part.

1. Put the package in a pot
2. Add one cup of water (per package)
3. Bring to a boil

In five minutes you will end up with an amazing soup that will shock you at it’s deliciousness.

Being a soup lover my expectations were high. I tried to keep an open mind but as soon as the soup started to boil and the smell spread throughout the house I knew the soup would be good. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The spinach was perfect, no stems and it was all ripe so it tasted wonderfully. The chicken was tender and full of flavor and I loved that they were tiny little pieces. They were good size chunks and not a single piece of fat was on any of the pieces. The tortellini was amazing. Just the right amount of cheese filling that was nice and creamy. The pasta was slightly al dente which is a good thing because you don’t want soggy pasta which leads to the filling leaking out. And of course the tomato bisque was pure perfection. Nice and creamy without being to heavy. It was full of flavor without being overwhelming. And it paired very well with our leftovers.

All in all this was an amazing soup. That is the first time I have ever said that about a store bought soup. I will admit, I can be very picky when it comes to soups but this one was a home run. Not only from the overall taste of the soup but the cooking time was very fast. Definitely will be keeping this on our favorites list.

You can connect with Bertolli on Facebook at facebook.com/Bertolli or on Twitter at twitter.com/Bertolli and their Website at villabertolli.com

*I was compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge. As always all thoughts & opinions stated are my own*

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Meat & potatoes…meat & potatoes!

June 19, 2011

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Every time I say that I say it like Dana Carvey in The Road to Wellville. If you haven’t seen that movie you really should, it’s a great movie! So my Mom used to make this recipe for us as we were growing up all the time. It was one of my favorites. That and Chicken w/ Cheese were my two all time favorites. I’ll have to make that and share with you another time. I know when I say meat & potatoes people think what’s so special about a piece of meat and some potatoes. Well only that it’s not a piece of meat with a side of potatoes it’s a casserole. Not only is it really good but it’s really simple to make. Now I don’t do ground beef so I use ground chicken instead. Takes exactly the same to me but feel free to use whichever you prefer. This recipe that I am sharing is double the normal amount that I make.

~~Meat~~ Chicken & Potatoes

8-10 medium/large russet potatoes

2 lbs ground chicken

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 packets Lipton onion soup mix

2 cups milk

2-3 tbsp ketchup

1/4-1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degree.

Peel, cut and boil your potatoes. While those are cooking start to cook your chicken. Cook the chicken through but before you take it off the stove season it with the dry seasonings. I gave variations in the measurements because everyone’s tastes are different so use how much you’d like. You can also substitute one of the powders for either garlic or onion salt just don’t make it too salty because the soup mix has salt in it also.

Mix the two cups of milk with the two the two Lipton packets and heat in the microwave for one minute. While that mixture is heating up add in your ketchup to the chicken. I know it sounds totally gross but I promise you it will not be nearly as good if you leave it out!

When the milk mixture is done mix and then pour in with the chicken. Let simmer on low for about five minutes. You want to let the liquids soak in a little bit so it’s not too runny for the casserole.
Now that the potatoes are done mash them and prepare to your liking. I usually add about a tablespoon of butter, some milk and onion powder along with a dash of cayenne powder. Mash them up until they are nice and smooth.
Grate your cheese, or you can go easy, which I normally do, and buy pre-shredded cheese. Cuts out a lot of time.

Now you are ready to build your pie.

Step 1: Put all of the chicken mixture into your dish.

Step 2: Layer the cheese on top of the chicken.

Step 3: Add the potatoes on top of it all. Smooth the potatoes so it’s all one level.

Pop your completed pie into the oven uncovered and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Or if you are in a hurry you can stick it in the microwave for 8-12 minutes, possibly less.

This dish is full of yummy goodness that my entire family enjoys.

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What do you do when baking goes wrong

January 12, 2011

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Why you improvise of course. I tried a new cookie recipe the other day and while it was very similar to my regular one, somehow they didn’t quite turn out as I had hoped.

I used the same cookie sheets I always use but for some unknown reason they came out like this!


So not wanting to waste about 30 cookies I cut off the tops on all of them in attempts to save them.

It’s like muffin tops except cookie tops LOL

And then being the crafty type that I am I flipped these cookies like pancakes trying to prevent the remaining batch from burning.

So if you ever encounter this problem, don’t fret and throw them all away, just grab a knife and cut off the tops while they are still warm. If they fall apart during that process don’t worry, you can always use them as toppings on ice cream!

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How do you incorporate fiber into your diet?

December 2, 2010

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I know, not my normal type of post but it’s actually something I have been thinking about lately, especially with the holidays coming up and all those tempting ~~yummy~~ fattening foods that will be cooked. I will be the first to admit my diet is not the greatest. I love carbs and have a sweet tooth. On the positive side I love salads and creating new one’s each time I make one is a very simple way to keep dishes exciting. Not many people think about fiber when they are picking out their meals to make but there are many benefits to having fiber as part of your diet.

One that I’m sure many of you have heard of is that it helps aid in weight loss. But it also helps lower blood cholesterol levels, helps control blood sugar levels and helps maintain bowel integrity and the health of your bowel. The recommended daily amount for women is 25 grams (50 & younger) and for men it is 38 grams (50 & under). How do you incorporate fiber into your diet? Well it’s really pretty simple, here are a few ideas that I use to help you out.

The basics:

Grains and whole-grain products
Fruits
Vegetables
Beans, peas and other legumes
Nuts and seeds

Some of my favorites:

Hummus
Pistachios
Avocados
Substituting all pastas with whole wheat pasta
Spinach (I saute garlic & onions and then add in the spinach but don’t cook more then a few minutes)
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage (also great to add into salads)
Fruit fruit & more fruit! The easiest way to get in your daily serving is to make a fruit smoothie with all of your favorite fruits. I usually use banana, blueberries, strawberries, orange, peaches, mango & pineapple along with a 100 pure juice, pomegranate cranberry taste great with the fruit combination

I make fruit smoothies about once a week because my kids love them and think it’s a special treat. I love that my kids gulp (yes they literally gulp it down) and ask for more. Knowing that I am giving them a healthy treat and one that is good for them on many levels is one of the reasons I make them so often.

The old saying breakfast is the most important meal of the day is very true. Making fruit smoothies is one of the ways I help kickstart our days for healthy eating it also provides energy to get you through the day. To keep going along those lines snacks are a big thing in our house. It seems no matter how big or small of a breakfast I make my kids are always hungry in between breakfast and lunch time. One snack that is easy and my kids enjoy is carrots and ranch. They will eat carrots without the ranch which I prefer but they sometimes request it. Also dried fruits such as dried apricots are a favorite in my house along with popcorn. Many people think popcorn is bad for you but if you eat it in moderation and if it is a low fat popcorn it helps you keep up with a high fiber diet.

You also have to remember not to overload on your amount of fiber intake. If you are planning on increasing your fiber intake do it slowly over a period of a few weeks and make sure you always drink plenty of fluids.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and Coach’s Oats Fiber blogging program, making me eligible to win a $50 American Express gift card and free product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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Cookies!!!!

November 17, 2010

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I know I say all the time that I don’t bake but I did today. I made some chocolate chip cookies, actually I made about three dozen of them! And I’ve made up my mind, from now on if I am to bake anything it’s going to be from scratch. It just tastes so much better and half the fun is making it with my kids.
I used the classic recipe on the back of the Nestles chocolate chip bag. You can find it here. Oh and I used milk chocolate morsels instead of semi sweet chocolate morsels and being a peanut allergy household I left out the nuts.. So here is what you need.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12oz. pkg.) Chocolate Morsels

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

First put the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl and set aside.

Next beat butter until soft

Then add in your sugar.

Once that’s mixed well add in your brown sugar and then the vanilla extract. Mix those ingredients until nice and creamy.

Add in your eggs one at a time. Make sure to mix it well after each egg is added in.

Slowly mix in your flour mixture. I do about half a cup at a time just to make sure it’s all mixed together.

Once that is done stir in chocolate chip morsels.

Spoon about a tablespoon worth of cookie dough onto an un-greased baking sheet.

Cook for 9-11 minutes. I set my timer for 9 minutes and they were perfect.

For my first time making cookies from scratch they couldn’t have been any easier or any more mmm mmm good! The dough was just a tiny bit soft while crunchy around the edges and you get the chocolate and this tiny butter taste. Seriously just melt in your mouth good.

Here are the instructions not broken up by the pictures.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

First put the flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl and set aside.

Next beat butter until soft then add in your sugar. Once that’s mixed well add in your brown sugar and then the vanilla extract. Mix those ingredients until mice and creamy.

Then add in your eggs one at a time. Make sure to mix it well after each egg is added in.

Slowly mix in your flour mixture. I do about half a cup at a time just to make sure it’s all mixed together. Once that is done stir in chocolate chip morsels.

Spoon about a tablespoon worth of cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Cook for 9-11 minutes. I set my timer for 9 minutes and they were perfect.

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Green beans galore

November 3, 2010

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I LOVE green beans. Like seriously I will snack on them in the middle of the night if I cooked some earlier that day which is exactly what I did when I made a big batch of them on Monday for dinner. The left overs didn’t even last into the next day LOL
This is my tried and true recipe for green beans.

1-2 lbs of green beans, washed and stems trimmed off
1/2 red onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp butter or olive oil (whichever you prefer)
Garlic Salt (to taste)

Warm up a pan and start to melt your butter. After it has melted and is slightly turning brown add in your onions and saute for 1-2 minutes. You don’t want to get them too soft because they will just turn to mush later on.Warm up a pan and start to melt your butter. After it has melted and is slightly turning brown add in your onions and saute for 1-2 minutes. You don’t want to get them too soft because they will just turn to mush later on.

Add in the garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is lightly golden.

Then add in your raw green beans. I prefer my green beans with a slight crunch so I do not cook them before added them into the sauteed onion & garlic.

Cook for approximately 7-10 minutes stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. The green beans should still have a slight crunch. Sprinkle with a little bit of garlic salt, stir and then pour into a serving bowl and enjoy 😀

Just looking at the pictures is making me salivate. I’m thinking a trip top the grocery store later might be in store to buy more green beans.

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Fish Tacos

October 21, 2010

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I love fish tacos and my family does too. And after sharing I had some the other day I got a few requests for the recipe so I’m going to share my recipe that I came up with with you all. This is more of a healtified version (no breading or deep frying involved) but it is still full of a lot of flavor.

One thing I need to work on is getting some exact measurements, since I’ve only been making this recipe for a little over a year now I’ve never written it down or used any measuring tools. I just do it by eye so I’m going to lay out the ingredients for you all and you can do it by your preference.

Also with the fish I buy the packed mahi mahi from Trader Joe’s and that will feed my family of five (2 adults & 3 young’ins) if you are serving mainly adults I suggest getting two packages of fish.

Mahi Mahi
Garlic Salt
Onion Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Cumin
1-2 tbsp. Olive oil
Light Sour Cream
Lime
Salsa Verde (I used trader joe’s salsa verde)
Corn Tortillas (if you can find fresh home made one’s they are so much better)
Cabbage
Onions

Avocado chopped or thinly sliced

I start the sauce for the tacos first so it can blend all the flavors together. Mix 1 cup of sour cream to 1/2-3/4 cup of salsa. Add in some lime juice and cayenne pepper to taste. Stick in the fridge until later.

Season the fish with the dry seasonings and then cook in the olive oil. Cook fish until flaky with a fork (about 10 minutes).

While your fish is cooking thinly slice up your cabbage and dice up some onions.

To prepare the tacos, warm up the corn tortillas, place on a piece of fish, squeeze some lime juice on the hot fish then pour on a spoonful of the salsa sauce, then put on the onions and then cabbage. Dig in.

If you aren’t a fan of sour cream just use your favorite salsa. The avocado is optional, I’ve never tried it in my homemade fish tacos but as I was typing the recipe out it sounded really good.

I hope your family enjoys these as much as mine does <3

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Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

October 6, 2010

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Oh my was this goooooood. Everyone had two helpings and there were barely any leftovers left. It’s not often I find new dishes that are that big of a hit in my house. So I will not be loosing this recipe and since it was such a success I thought I would share it you all. Now I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com but I changed it around a bit so if you want the original version just click on the link above.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1/2 dry white wine

1 tsp curry powder

1 onion sliced

2 (6oz) packages of long grain & wild rice mix

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms

1 cup sour cream

1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Salt
Cayenne pepper
Onion powder

Cooking spray

Place the chicken breasts in a crockpot and cook on low for five hours. After five hours, take the chicken out and set aside. Strain the fat and save the chicken broth.

Once the fat is strained add back in your chicken, curry, your wine and your onions. Cook for one more hour.

Start your rice. Substitute how ever much broth you have for the water the rice calls for. So if you have 1 cup of broth and you need three cups of water only use two cups of water.

Now you get to shred the chicken. The GREAT thing about a crock pot is that the chicken will be so tender it will be really easy to shred.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl mix the sour cream and soup. Then add in the chicken with onion mixture and when your rice is finished add that in. Add in remaining dry ingredients (onion & garlic powder & cayenne pepper). And lastly your Parmesan cheese. Give it a really good stir.

Once everything is completely mixed pour into a prepared baking dish. Put in the oven and cook for one hour.

I completely forgot to take a picture before it was devoured by my family. Can you tell it was a hit here LOL

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