bahama mama chicken tortilla soup...

**sorry i didn't get this posted yesterday!!!! believe me i tried & tried & tried! my computer was on the fritz & kept freezing on me... arrgggghhhh! anyhoo, here it is.

this is another take-out, made-in. i love finding & making up copy cat recipes for some of my restaurant favorites. in this case, Rumbi's Island Grill. i love there chicken tortilla soup! creamy, with a hint of coconut milk & a squeeze of lime... simply delicious. a great twist on a cold weather classic. give it a try the next time you need some warm comfort!

{bahama mama chicken tortilla soup}

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 cups chicken stock

1 cup matchstick carrots

1/3 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced

1 TBSP minced fresh garlic

1 cup chopped roma tomato, juices drained off

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

tortilla strips**

limes, cut in wedges

salt & pepper to taste

lightly salt & pepper chicken breasts on each side. grill or broil until browned & cooked through. cut into bite size chunks.

in a large pot, combine chicken stock, carrots. all herbs, spices & seasonings. bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender. add coconut milk, chopped, drained tomatoes, chicken & cilanto. heat through but DON'T BOIL. add salt & pepper as needed.

ladle into bowls & top with tortilla strips & a lime wedge.

Enjoy!!!!!

**for the tortilla strips, you can either slice up corn tortillas & bake or fry them... or just pick some up at your local tex-mex restaurant. bajio, cafe rio & costa vida are all really nice about selling strips & they aren't too expensive.

stacia's southwestern egg rolls...

these are from last months recipe club & they were so delicious! thanks to stacia for bringing them! nothing like blending cooking in cultures! i don't think they are making this egg roll in china town:)

{stacia's southwestern egg rolls}

1 can Corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1/2 bunch cilantro
Juice from 1 lime
1 1/2 cup of chopped spinach
1 tsp minced garlic
2 medium sized chicken breast...cooked, finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheese, mexican mix

Spices : I don't have exact amount, but will guestimate. (I usually mix all the spices, garlic, lime and cilantro in a little olive oil (about 2-3 Tbs) first so that it brings their flavor out more.)

Cumin about 1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp
Chili powder about 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cracked red pepper or cayenne pepper to desired spiciness

1 packet of 20 egg roll wraps.

Mix it all together, put about a big spoonful inside the wrap. (It takes a few times to judge the size of the egg roll and you will think you have too much and think you need to make them bigger)...don't. Roll it up tight. Seal edge with a little water.

Deep fry in oil.

Serve with Ranch Dressing, spiced with a little hot sauce

so close to 100...

100 thousand that is:) i can't believe how amazing the response to our little recipe club blog has been! we are just a few hundred hits away from 100,000! CRAZY!!! thank you to everyone who looks & hopefully cooks what we make. recipe club is tomorrow night & it is sure to be another great night! in honor of 100,000 hits i will be posting a new recipe everyday for the rest of the week, so check back for some great new recipes...

& thanks again! we hope that our recipes have made a mark at your tables!

easy breezy baked sweet potato fries...

i had never been a big sweet potato fan, which is so bazaar, seeing that i like almost everything:) but in the past few years i have had my eyes opened to some recipes that i am completely in love with... sweet potato dishes! oh how i love you now & wish i could take back all those thanksgivings with not as tasty sweet potato dishes. anyhooo- i love sweet potato fries & even though they don't cook up as crisp when you bake them vs. frying them, they are about 1 trillion times healthier (ok, so that might be a slight exageration:)) & just as delicious! not to mention your house doesn't smell like the local fast food joint.

whip up a batch of these next time you want an easy after school snack! the kids will love them & you won't believe how easy & cheap they are!

{sweet potato fries}

fresh sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch fries
kosher or flake salt
fresh pepper
other dried herbs~thyme, rosemary, oregano, ect.
oil

Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees. Place peeled & cut potatoes in to a medium bowl. Toss with vegetable or extra virgin olive oil, I use 2 TBSP per 1 large potato. Spread onto a baking sheet, keeping in a single layer. Srinkle with a healthy dose of seasoning. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven & toss. Return to oven & continue to bake another 10 or so minutes. Watching carefully so as not to burn.
Serve with the dip of your choice. My family prefers a BBQ sauce & mayo mix.

get your jam...

so earlier in the summer i started making jam to sell at the local farmer's market. well it kind of took off faster than i anticipated, so needless to say, i have been making a lot of jam:) i never knew how much work went into going commercial with food. it is intense!!!! but now that i have done that i will be getting into shops... legally. they make great gifts & there are lots of different flavors, so you should be able to something for everyone.

i'll be at the bijou market this saturday from 10-4 in provo. come down & give them a try!

hard to make pretty, but even harder not to eat the whole thing:)...

so our cute friend tiffany made this for recipe club last month & it is sooo addicting! i'm pretty sure i planted my self right next to the crock pot & didn't move the whole night:) i had it at my halloween party again last night & again... to die for!

{picture courtesy of tasteofhome.com}

~tiffany's creamy sausage chip dip~

1 lb. italian sausage

(choose mild or sausage depending on what you like)

1/2 of a yellow onion

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 can rotel, sightly drained

1 can diced green chilies, drained

In a medium sauce pan, brown onion & sausage. Drain off grease & add remaining ingredients. Stir over medium heat until cream cheese is completely melted & all ingredients are combined. Pour into a crock pot or chaffing dish to keep warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

brit's pumpkin spice bundt cake...

recipe club was super yummy this month! everything that was brought i would make again!!!! this is the dessert that i made. i have made it before & it doesn't hurt that it is really pretty easy:) i think i over cooked it just a tad this time, but it was still really yummy.

{pumpkin spice bundt cake}

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

In a large bowl mix together all ingredients. with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat on low for 30 seconds. increase speed to high & beat for 4 minutes. pour into a greased & floured (or use this recipe for non stick greatness) & bake at 350 degrees for 40-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out this just a few crumbs. let sit 5 minutes & then turn out onto a cooling rack. glaze with cream cheese glaze & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

{cream cheese glaze}

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 tablespoons milk (skim or regular)

beat together all ingredients until smooth. spoon or carefully pour over cooled bundt cake.