Pumpkin Cake *

Perfect for this time of year and sooo tasty! If you follow the directions its very easy and very delicious!

Filling:
Mix together the following in a bowl:
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 large can solid pumpkin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Crust:
Put 1 cup aside to crumble on top:
3/4 cup COLD butter
1 dry yellow cake mix
Mix by **Cutting In** Dry cake mix and COLD butter.
Set aside 1/2 to 1 cup of crust mixture to sprinkle on top.
Pat in bottom of a greased 9 x 13 cake pan (DO NOT use a glass pan, it will destroy your crust).
Pour filling over crust and then crumble the crust mixture that you set aside over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Top with cool whip or icecream

**Here's a definition of what Cutting In means: When a solid fat such as butter is mixed with a dry ingredient like flour until they form into small particles. I would use a food processor fitted with a metal blade and just pulse it. You can also use your trusty fingers to do the job.
This keeps the bottom from getting hard.**

Roasted tomato soup with basil from ZUPAS

While we were out visiting Utah we went to Zupas with some friends and tried their roasted tomato soup-YUMM-OOOO!!!! So I decided to try to find a recipe for it since we don't have Zupas here in West Grove-well, Zupa's web site had it! Here's the link if you'd like to look at it: http://www.zupas.com/index.php/2009/09/recipe-roasted-tomato-soup/

Ingredients

• 4 lb tomatoes, halved lengthwise(Using plum tomatoes for this recipe will yield an intensely flavored soup)
  
• 6-8 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced [use only 1/2 tsp if you used dried]
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced [use only 1 tsp if using dried basil]
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.

Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.

Cook onion, oregano, basil, and sugar in butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 2 minutes.

It looks like a lot of work, but it was actually quite easy-the hardest part of this one was keeping Jason from screaming every time I turned on the blender :) We had grilled cheese sandwiches with this and it was delicious! Even Abi and Jason loved it!

Chicken Enchiladas-Gluten Free style*

I found this recipe on a fun blog called "Off the Wheaten Path." Great blog for gluten free cooking.

Here's the link to the GF chicken enchiladas:

http://offthewheatenpath.blogspot.com/2010/02/gluten-free-chicken-enchiladas.html

We've tried these a few times, we really like them.

Gluten Free Flank Steak*

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Chill time: Over night

Yield: 6 servings

1/2 Cup Oil

1/4 Cup red wine vinegar

1/4 Cup La Choy soy sauce

2 Tbsp chopped onion (although we used 2 bunches of green onions and cut them about 2 inches long and then grilled them with the steak)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger

1-1 1/2 lbs beef flank steak

combine all the ingredients except for the steak in a shallow dish. Slice the steak in strips diagonally across the grain and add to the marinade. Refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally. Remove steak from the marinade and grill for appx. 8 minutes, turning once, or until desired doneness.

The hardest part of this recipe is FINDING the flank steak-I had to go to 4 stores to find some and I got the last 1.20 lbs of it!!! It may have something to do with the fact that it was the night before Father's Day though :)

Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole

This is a Campbell's recipe, it was so easy and so yummy!

Ingredients:

1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (great for left overs!)
2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained. (I used macaroni noodles)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 4oo degrees. Stir together soup, milk, vegetables, chicken, noodles, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir chicken mixture, then top with cheddar cheese. Let stand until cheese is melted. (I put it back in the oven for a couple minutes)

See, so easy and so yummy!

Minestrone Soup

I stole this from my friend Shannon, I hope she doesn't mind me posting it here. I basically use this blog as one of my recipe books so this is how I keep track of them. This stuff is GOOOOOD!

Minestrone
42 oz beef broth
1 15- oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans/chickpeas, rinsed and drained
(I often add 1 can of white kidney beans, as well)
1 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes, undrained (I use Italian stewed tomatoes, or the kind that says 'with basil and oregano', and I pulse these in my blender, and I often use two cans)
12 oz. chicken broth or vegie broth (I use low sodium)
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed (I just put it in my palm and grind it with my fingers, and I think I use a little bit more)
1.5 cups frozen mixed vegies, such as Italian blend (I do not use frozen vegies; I pulse up the following in my blender: one small onion; 2 carrots; 2 celery stalks; about one-half cup of whatever peppers I might have (red or green, or both); and two or three garlic cloves. Zucchini squash is also good)
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cups cooked pasta (I use wheat rotini--cook it just shy of al dente before putting in soup)
finely shredded parmesan cheese, optional-You can make this one Gluten Free by using rice noodles

1. Heat some olive oil in large pot.; add vegies (if fresh), saute till soft (I do the carrots first for about seven minutes, and I add the garlic after everything is nearly tender); add Italian seasoning.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, paste, sugar, broths.

3. Simmer a while; add pasta about 15 minutes before you plan to eat.

4. Just before serving, add spinach.

5. Serve with parm. cheese, if desired.

Marinated BBQ Chicken Breasts

1 cup oil

1 cup soy sauce (if you use La Choy this meal will be Gluten Free)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp horseradish

2 cups Sprite

Mix all ingredients, add chicken to mix. Marinate overnight. BBQ chicken and ENJOY!

SO EASY AND YUMMY!