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Nicki's collection of recipes, open for all friends, family, and anyone who wishes to share from his/her own collection!

Tag: tomato (Page 1 of 10)

Instant Pot Macaroni and Tomatoes

July 10, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Based on what I could remember of the way Mother made these, plus my own tweaks:

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

16 oz of uncooked pasta (I used large elbow macaroni)
28 oz diced tomatoes (petite, regular, however you like them)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp (3 cubes) chicken or beef bullion
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups water
OPTIONAL: 10 oz can of Rotel (I used Original – No Salt Added)
OPTIONAL: 1 or 2: 11.5 oz can of tomato juice (I like mine to be a little more ‘saucy’)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into your instant pot. Stir and pat down noodles so they are all covered by liquid.

Lock lid on and set to 4 mins high pressure.

Quick release when finished.

Remove lid and stir. Serve immediately.

Make this your own by tweaking spices, bacon fat or margarine instead of butter, adding a tad of brown sugar (I’m told some folks like this sweetened?), or whatever else you like. My mother makes this in a dutch oven on her stove top and adds ground beef in hers.

Instant Pot Meatless Taco Soup

December 5, 2019 / / 0 Comments

With it being so cold lately, I’ve been craving some Taco Soup.  You know, that recipe that has been around forever?  I decided to try to make some in my Instant Pot here at work, and it turned out great!  I used this recipe as a base, leaving out the meat.  You could easily brown some beef in the IP before adding all of the other ingredients, but I was mostly craving the spices and beans.

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans Black Beans
1 (15 oz) can Chili Beans w/seasoning
1 (14.5 oz) can petite Diced Tomatoes
1 can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes
1 small can Tomato Sauce (optional)
1 (15 oz) can Sweet Corn
1 (14 oz) can Chicken Broth
1 (1.25 oz) packet Taco Seasoning (I used Chili-O)
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon ground Chili Powder
1 teaspoon ground Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon ground Smoked Paprika
1 (1 oz) packet Ranch Seasoning mix

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients into your Instant Pot. Close the lid and make sure the knob is on sealing, NOT venting. Push the manual button, and set the timer for 4 minutes. Once the timer is done counting down, you can turn your knob to venting.
  2. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocados, and tortilla chips.

Note:

Makes approximately 8 servings.

This recipe turned out GREAT!  And it made so much that I shared with anyone and everyone who wanted some.  Everyone who tried it loved it, and I shared the above recipe with anyone who asked.  The one thing I messed up was that I did not add enough water.  Normally when I make this in the crockpot/slowcooker or stove top, I rinse all the cans out with a bit of water and add that to the mixture.  I didn’t do that this time.  It was a bit too thick and burned a little, so next time I will definitely add a bit more liquid.  Otherwise, it was perfect!  🙂

Slightly sweet leftovers

March 14, 2015 / / 2 Comments

One of the great things about crockpot recipes is that you can cook a decent amount of food all at once and have plenty of leftovers. Remember that Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken I made? I had about half of that left over and I found myself wondering whether to just freeze them to eat later or use them for something else. I took half of it and added some chili beans and taco seasoning for a sweet chicken burrito filling. I combined that with some sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, fresh tomato, and sour cream. That covered another two meals and they were fantastic!

The last couple of days I’ve been craving some chili. I thought I’d try using what was left of the sesame chicken to make a slightly sweet chili. Using the Taco Soup recipe as a base, I combined the sesame chicken mix into my crockpot with a large can of diced tomatoes, two cans of chili beans, a can of black beans, about a cup of whole kernel corn (from the freezer), a packet of taco seasoning, a packet of Ranch seasoning, and a mix of the following to taste: Tabasco sauce, ground chili pepper, ground white pepper, ground cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt.

It was delicious! I do not have any “starting” images, but here’s the end result:

I served a bowl of the chili topped with a mix of white and mild cheddar cheese and sour cream, with cinnamon rolls which were soaked in vanilla bourbon just before baking. They were very sweet and I found complemented the meal nicely. 🙂

Creamy Cheesy White Chicken Chili

November 16, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Ok, so I ran across this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Yammie’s Noshery. Her pictures that accompany the recipes always look soooooo good, and this recipe sounded so tasty I just had to try it!

So here’s the recipe as she posted it:

Creamy Cheesy White Chicken Chili

Recipe Source: yammiesnoshery.com

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
1/2 of a white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped
7 oz. can of green chiles
8 oz. frozen corn
2 15.5 oz. cans white kidney beans (cannellini beans)
32 oz. chicken stock
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of pepperjack and monterey jack)
Cilantro and limes for serving

Directions:

In a large pot, saute the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper in a little bit of oil on medium heat until softened. Add the chicken, chiles, corn, beans chicken stock, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and continue cooking until it comes to a simmer (if you prefer a non-creamy soup, it’s great at this point too!). Add the sour cream and cream cheese. Toss together the cornstarch and cheese and add to the pot. Continue cooking and stirring until thickened. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.

I deviated a bit from the recipe:

  • I had only one can of cannellini beans, so I drained and rinsed a can of black beans too. I figured this would give it a bit more color, and I love them so. 🙂
  • I added 1/2 can of petite diced tomatoes that I had saved in the freezer from the last time I made chili. Doing this made it a bit darker in color, so it wasn’t really a true ‘white’ chili, but I love tomatoes and I was making this for me! 🙂
  • I used not quite all of the 32 oz. container of chicken stock so that the chili will be a bit thicker.
  • I omitted the onion, bell pepper, and chiles. I have weird food issues, this is one of them. 😛
  • I didn’t have any fresh garlic, so I doubled up on the garlic powder — this made it a bit TOO garlicky. I love the taste of garlic, but it was very strong.
  • Lastly, I omitted the cream cheese. It probably would have added to the “creamy factor” but I hate the taste. I may try substituting some velveeta next time.

This was my result:

All in all, this was a very good recipe. Leaving the chiles out left me wanting more kick, so I added some hot sauce when I served my bowl. The flavor was very good, I will try a bit more chili powder and add some white pepper next time to give it a bit more heat.

This was a nice thick chili. In fact, I’ve had its leftovers for breakfast this morning, and over tortilla chips as a snack! I think I may pair it with some refried beans in a chicken burrito for lunch tomorrow. This is definitely a chili I will fix again soon!

Lasagna Soup

January 12, 2009 / / 1 Comment

Recipe Source: Modified from a Betty Crocker recipe.

Originally called ‘Cheesy Lasagna Soup‘

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, sliced
2 large green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups water
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 cups uncooked pasta (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (6 ounces)

Directions:

Cook beef, onion, bell peppers and garlic in Dutch oven over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown and onion is tender; drain.

Stir in water, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in pasta, brown sugar, Italian seasoning and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.

Top with cheese and serve.

Jules’ Homemade Tomato Soup

September 12, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Recipe Source: Everydaymommy.net

Ingredients:

2 cans (28oz) whole tomatoes or homegrowns
1-2 cans (14oz) beef or chicken broth
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Half & half
1/2 stick butter
1/2 tsp sugar
House seasoning to taste *

Directions:

In large soup pot saute diced onion in olive oil over medium heat till tender. Season with house seasoning to taste.

Blend the whole tomatoes in a blender until just smooth, only a few seconds. You’ll want a slightly lumpy consistency. Pour tomatoes into soup pot. Add broth to pot to a pleasing consistency. If you prefer a thicker soup add 1 can broth. If a thinner soup add 2 cans broth. Season again with house seasoning to taste. Simmer 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

Add half & half, sugar and butter. Stir well as butter melts. Simmer another 20 minutes. Serve with grilled cheddar cheese on rye bread. Yum!

* House seasoning is equal parts kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder.

Gert’s Summer Chicken

July 17, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Recipe Source: Gert Meyers, by way of Cookie at The Cook Shack Gab & Grub

Marinated Chicken for grillin’ or BBQin’…

This makes a lovely marinade with a slightly sweet yet tangy flavor, ideal for grilled or barbecued chicken. It’s my own recipe, loosely based on a book-recipe, now long lost…

Marinade:

Mix together using a spoon or blender:

juice of a small lemon
4 tbsp of runny honey
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil (or equivalent)
3 tbsp of vegetable oil (peanut or sunflower)
3 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tsp of balsamic vinegar (optional)
a few drops of Tabasco(TM)
some finely, freshly ground black pepper
a small pinch of ground cayenne pepper
a small pinch of fenugreek or ginger powder

Marinating:

It’s often believed that increasing the time of marinating to overnight improves the result but in my view that’s not entirely true. A marinade can only penetrate the meat almost no more than skin-deep and so it’s my experience that a couple of hours (even shorter) works quite well. For an instant marinade, I recommend adding a little cornflower to the marinade, which will make it more clingy: then you can simply brush your meat with the mix, minutes prior to cooking.

Cooking:

Use skinless pieces of chicken: chunks or strips of breast meat for instance, although turkey would also work well. You can be fancy and create skewers with some yellow or orange pepper, some red onion and some cherry tomatoes or even pineapple pieces, for a great presentation and a bit of Wow!-factor…

Alternatively, simply marinate the strips or chunks together with the pepper etc, then cook and serve on a preheated serving dish. Tuck in!

I suggest cooking these on low heat barbecue (make sure it’s cooked through and through) or a ribbed skillet (I usually put a good dollop of salt on my skillet, which acts as an anti-adhesive ).

Happy eating!

Lobster Creole

June 22, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Recipe Source: Jennifer / allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/4 bunch fresh parsley
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
5 cups water
red pepper sauce to taste
2/3 cup sherry
1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos, julienned
1 cup frozen petite peas
4 raw lobster tail, quartered
2/3 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined without tails

Directions:

Remove the stems from the parsley and discard. In a food processor combine the parsley leaves, yellow onion, green pepper, garlic and stewed tomatoes. Process just enough to chop the ingredients up. Should retain a chunky consistency

In a large pot over medium/low heat, combine olive oil and parsley mixture. Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste until completely dissolved. Pour in 5 cups of water, red pepper sauce, sherry and red pimentos. Raise the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the petit poi, lobster tails and shrimp. Simmer for 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink all the way through.

Cheeseburger Pasta (2)

June 17, 2007 / / 1 Comment

Recipe Source: Campbell’s Tasty Tuesday website (tastytuesday.com)

Prep/Cooking Time: about 15-20 minutes total

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can tomato soup
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked medium shell pasta

Directions:

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat.

Add soups, water and pasta. Heat to a boil. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until done, stirring often.

Nicki’s Variation:

This is an excellent recipe as-is, but we love it with small shells, southwestern pepperjack cheese soup and chicken!

Jules’ Sweet ‘n Smoky Chili

June 4, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Recipe Source: Jules @ everydaymommy.net

“Our extended autumn-like weather came to an abrupt end yesterday when the temperatures dropped to below 20º and Kansas City was hit by a wave of sleet. The frozen ground is now covered with one to two inches of tiny ice pellets. When the weather is this bitter there’s only one thing to do. Make chili! I’m not sure if I’ve shared my chili recipe before, but here ’tis. I think everyone has their own way of making chili, and this is mine. To those of you in Texas, I apologize. This is yankee-style chili. But, it tastes darn good.”

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 lg green bell pepper, diced
2 lg yellow onions, diced
3 cans chili beans (I prefer Brooks brand chili hot beans)
1 can beef broth
1 x-large can tomato juice (juice, not sauce – get the x-large can)
3-4 tbsp brown sugar
3-4 tbsp liquid smoke (I prefer Colgin brand liquid smoke)
Garlic powder
Kosher salt
Chili powder
Dash Cayenne pepper
1/2 stick butter

Directions:

In your largest pot saute the diced onion and diced bell pepper in about 2 tbsp olive oil till tender. Season with salt. Add beef and pork and brown completely. Drain excess fat. Season with garlic powder and salt. Add beans, beef broth, tomato juice, brown sugar and liquid smoke. Stir well and let simmer on low about 30 minutes. Liquids will reduce slightly and flavors will blend. Season to your taste with chili powder and cayenne pepper. Be careful with the cayenne as a little goes a long way. Stir well and taste for seasoning. When it is seasoned to your taste add (yes, this is the secret) the half stick of butter. Let it melt in the chili and stir well. Check seasoning before serving. The longer you allow the chili to simmer the more reduced the liquid will be and the more concentrated the flavors.

Serve with a bit of sharp cheddar cheese on top and crackers. Enjoy!

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