Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

My Dad, sister and I headed to my other sisters house a couple of weeks ago and while there my niece wanted to carve pumpkins.  We decided to cook the seeds and this is the recipe we used.  They turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more, to taste
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice

Preparation:

Rinse seeds well and get as much of the pumpkin pulp off of them as possible. Some of the small pieces are going to adhere, but they won't hurt the seeds at all, and might even add a little more flavor. Pat dry with paper towels. Don't let them dry completely on the paper towels, because they might stick! Toss seeds with the butter, sugar, and spices.
Heat oven to 300°. Spread coated seeds in a shallow baking sheet (I line a baking sheet with nonstick foil to make cleanup easier), turning from time to time, for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until nicely browned and crunchy.

Jalapeno Chicken Enchiladas

Oh my goodness, this was some good stuff.  I am so thankful that Mrs. H shared the recipe with the rest of the blogging world.  I think the only changes I made were to use canned chicken and I added some onion.  Oh, and fajita seasoning.  I sauteed my chicken and onion with the seasonings and then mixed all the rest of the yummy goodness and warmed it all together.  It was so yummy and so easy to make.  Mr. Giggles really liked this dish so I will be making it again and again and again I am sure!!

Jalapeño Chicken Enchiladas

5 servings

1 can (15 ounces) red enchilada sauce
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 flour tortillas

Spread 1/2 of the enchilada sauce in a 13 in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking dish; set aside. Combine soup, sour cream, jalapeños, onion salt and pepper. Stir in chicken and 1 cup cheese. Spread about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Ole'!

Pioneer Woman's Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients
1 stick Butter, Divided
½ whole Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Half-and-half
2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.
Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.
Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.
Serve immediately.

Mean Green Tortilla Soup

Mean Green Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
3 ears of corn, kernels removed (reserve shaved corn cobs)
1 package corn tortillas, cut into strips
4 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 package (3 pieces) chicken thighs or breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoon cumin
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
10 to 12 tomatillos, husks removed - can substitute a jar of chunky salsa verde sauce
2 cups cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 cups jack cheese, shredded
3 avocados, chopped (optional)

Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot, bring the chicken stock and water to a bubble with the reserved corn cobs and let simmer for about 10 minutes.Place the corn tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and spray them with some cooking spray. Transfer to the oven and bake until crispy, 10 minutes.Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with some EVOO about 2 turns around the pan. Add the chicken, browning on all sides, then place into the oven for about 7-8 minutes, until juices run clear and no pink remains in the center. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from oven and let rest before cutting into strips.Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot with remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onion, garlic and cumin, and cook till soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the corn kernels along with the jalapeño.While the veggies are cooking, puree the tomatillos in a food processor until somewhat smooth. Add the purée, stock and chicken to the pot along with the veggies.Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add in the cilantro, lime zest and juice, and serve it up garnished with a big handful of jack cheese, tortilla and avocado.

Taco Soup

It is fall and I love fall food (ok, what I consider fall food). My Mom used to make this for family get togethers and everyone loved it. My little sister makes this a lot now. It is yummy and easy. Unfortunately my husband doesn't like the beans in the soup so he won't eat it so I don't make it. :(

Taco Soup
1/2 - 1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
3 cans Rotel tomatoes (hot or mild, your choice)
1 can black beans
1 can ranch beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn

Brown ground beef with onion and drain if necessary. In a large pot add ground beef, onion, taco mix, ranch mix, Rotel, black beans, ranch beans, pinto beans and corn. DO NOT DRAIN any of the canned items. Cook until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

If I remember correctly, this freezes very well.

ENJOY!!