Zesty Minestrone

I came across this recipe on Kraft Food's website. I'd been looking for a great minestrone recipe that seemed simple enough and yummy enough to add a warm touch to a bitterly cold winter's day.

I found just that in this recipe.

I'm hoping to make it again for an upcoming "luncheon" with friends!

Zesty Minestrone

1/4 cup Italian Dressing

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, peeled, chopped

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (19 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed

2 cans (14 oz. each) vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1-1/2 cups small shell macaroni, uncooked

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and carrots; cook 2 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Spoon into slow cooker. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, water and seasoning; stir. Cover with lid.

Cook on LOW 6 hours (or on HIGH 3 hours).

Stir in macaroni; cook 10 to 15 min. or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.

*photo courtesy of kraft foods

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Butterscotch Cake

An oldie, but a goodie in my family...

If you make this, it won't last long. You won't be able to stop devouring it. For real. And it's so simple, it literally takes just seconds to prepare.

Butterscotch Cake

1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
15 oz. Butterscotch pudding (4) plastic cups such as Hunt's ready made pudding
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 bag of Butterscotch chips

Mix cake mix, eggs and pudding together. Pour into 9 x 13 cake pan. Top with brown sugar and butterscotch chips. Bake at 350 degrees until done.

GASP! I missed my birthday!

2 days ago was Cooking With Court's 2nd Blog Birthday!

My bad.

Thank you to all my faithful readers, and to all my new ones as well (all over the world)!

Over 4000 people have hit up the blog in just the past 2 months! Blows my mind. What started out as just a fun little side project to get me in the kitchen more has turned out to mean so much more than that to me!

So THANK YOU!

More to follow...for sure!

Rachel Ray's Grilled Cheese Sammies

My mom came across this one and the hubby and I made it for lunch today. Super yumm-o.

Today we can call them Court's NFL Play-Off Game Day Sammies. How does that sound?? SKOL Vikings! HA!

Nah...can't take the credit. This one's all Rachel.

YUMMY stuff. Pair the Sammie with your favorite bowl of soup and you've got a winner of a meal.

Rachel Ray's Grilled Cheese Sammies

Pumpernickel Bread (we used multigrain as our grocery store was out. BUMMER)
Butter or Margarine
Dill pickle relish
Watercress
Sliced Muenster or Havarti Cheese (we used muenster)


Butter one side of bread only. The sides you will be browning in the pan or on a griddle.

Spread dill relish on one slice of bread, top with a few pieces of watercress, and two slices of Muenster Cheese.

Ttop with the other buttered piece of bread and heat through until cheese melts. Turn once.

Rachel also adds sliced corned beef at St. Patricks Day time and serves with her Cabbage Stoup.

Doris' Very American Chop Suey

Happy New Year from Cooking With Court! As we welcome in 2010, we'll also start the new year off right with our very first "GUEST CHEF" feature on the blog! Throughout the year, I'll be featuring guest chefs as they share their favorite recipes with you all. I've got several more people lined up in the next couple of months, so keep checking back!

Who better than to start this whole Guest Chef feature off than my very own MOM! :) My Mom and my Grandma are two of the best home cooks I've ever known. I might just be a wee bit biased, however... And if it weren't for them, this blog never would have existed. Some people have their "food idols" like Bobby Flay, Julia Child, Paula Dean, but I've got my very own in my Mom and Grandma.

So without further delay, I bring you...my mother.

My name is Sue and I am the proud mother of Court from Cooking With Court and most honored to be guest chef for the month of January. I consider myself more a good cook than a chef. I live in Florida with my husband, Steve, of 37 years and our youngest daughter, Kimberly. I come from a long line of good cooks for which I am very thankful. The Chop Suey recipe I am sharing with you is one of my Mom's that we grew up on, and one I had to learn to make without a recipe to follow. I did my best to come up with one and trust you will enjoy it as much as my family.

Doris' Very American Chop Suey

1 Tblsp. Veg. Oil

1 1/2 # Pork Loin Cutlet or Bottom Round Steak or a combination of both. (You can ask your butcher to cut the meat in bite size pieces. Some grocery stores have Chop Suey meat already prepackaged and sometimes ground in small pieces. Either is okay.)

1 small Onion, diced
Salt and Pepper
Flour and Soy Sauce
White Rice
Chow Mein or Rice Noodles

In a Dutch Oven, brown meat in vegetable oil along with onion and seasonings. When meat has browned, pour enough water over the meat just to cover. Place lid on Dutch Oven and simmer on medium low for 2 hours. Taste the juice to see if it needs any salt as covering the meat with water can sometimes dilute the taste but keep in mind too that you will be adding Soy Sauce which will also add some saltiness to the taste.

Combine about 1/3 cup of Flour with 1/4 cup Soy Sauce and about 1/8 cup Water and whisk until smooth. You may need to add a little more Flour if it seems thin. You are using the mixture as a thickener just as you would in making gravy so should be of that consistency. Bring meat to a boil and slowly add flour mixture as you whisk. The gravy will thicken.

I spoon the Chop Suey over White Rice and top with Chow Mein or Rice Noodles for crunchiness. Serve with a salad or fresh rolls. You could also add some diced celery during the simmering time and when done a can of Bean Sprouts for added flavor. Enjoy!

Thanks Mom! I Love You!!

White Chicken Lasagna

Let me preface this post by saying YOU ARE INSANE IF YOU DON'T TRY THIS RECIPE!!!

And I mean that in the nicest way possible ;-)

I love lasagna. Heck, I love all types of Italian food and any and all noodles. So I was thrilled when I came across this gem of a recipe. I tweaked a few different White Chicken Lasagna recipes to create my own; as most home cooks probably do anyways, right?

I'm tellin ya this was one of the best meals I have ever had in my entire 30 years of life on this earth.

Try it. You'll be smiling for several days afterwards.

BEST.EVER.

White Chicken Lasagna

3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup of onion minced
3 tbsp butter
4 chicken breasts, cooked & cut into small pieces/cubed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1- 8oz. package cream cheese, cubed
2 cups sour cream
1 lb. lasagna noodles, COOKED AND RINSED IN COLD WATER (I used whole wheat)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, brown onions & garlic in butter. Add cream cheese, cream soup, sour cream. Stir until cream cheese is melted. Add chicken. Add oregano, basil, and parsley. Mix together and heat through.

Spray bottom of 9X13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer noodles, white sauce with chicken, then cheese. Repeat steps to create 3 layers, ending with mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until top layer of cheese is browned.

P.S. Sorry there's so much "red" in my picture. I have a terrible camera. Trust me. It's AWESOME.