Taco Soup and Food Exchange

Don't forget to enter my Big Christmas Giveaway on my last post if you haven't already! A winner will be picked Wednesday morning! Now on to today's post...

Here is the breakdown:

Step 1: You recruit three friends to participate

Step 2: You each pick a meal to make and triple the recipe

Step 3: Divvy up into three portions and place in Ziplock Freezer bags

Step 4: Freeze

Step 5: Meet up with your friends, bring your bags and swap meals

Step 6: You have three different meals ready to go when you are. Just defrost, heat and serve!

Genius, right? I thought I made this up over a year ago but I have seen Martha Stewart advertising something similar to this on her website, so boo to that. Not boo to the idea, just the fact that she stole it from me. Yeah, I'm sure of it. ;) All kidding aside, this really is a good idea. It doesn't take much longer to make and triple a recipe than it does to make enough for your family. It takes way less time than making three separate meals, that's for sure!

For the past two fall/winter seasons I have recruited my friends Melissa and Danielle to swap with each other. Most things can freeze well and you are only limited by your imagination. The usual suspects would be soup and chili. Those are always easy. There are lots of other options though, from homemade spaghetti sauce to sausage lasagna frozen in disposable bakers and wrapped well, to chowders and savory quiche. I happen to know you can freeze already baked quiche. My friend Luanne did it one year. Google it for proper storage, thawing and re-heating instructions.

The happy food swappers: Me, Danielle, Melissa

This year for the swap Melissa made a yummy and thick vegetarian chili for homemade chili-cheese fries. All you needed to do come diner time is oven roast some potatoes for fries and heat up the chili.

Danielle made a beautiful vegetable pot pie filling. Now, all I need to do is defrost and warm the filling then transfer the contents into a Pyrex dish or pie plate, top with some puff pastry and bake until done. Add a salad and I have one decadent dinner that took me 5 minutes to assemble.

As for my part, I took the really easy road this year and made a big batch of taco soup (it's okay because I'm pretty sure I made a much more labor intensive French onion soup for everyone last year). This is the easiest because all you need to do is heat it through and you have dinner.

We usually write the name of our dish and date on the Ziplock bags were trading and re-heating instructions if needed. I can't tell you how accomplished you'll feel for having three wholesome and homemade ready to go dinners in your freezer.

Today, I'll write about my taco soup, but I'll also be sharing Danielle's pot pie filling as soon as I eat it and snap some pictures. Melissa's vegetarian chili-cheese fry chili can be found here if you missed it.

I love this recipe because it's a super hearty one pot meal, but not chili. I like a change every once and a while. Its Mexico in a bowl, with all the flavored tomatoes, beans, corn and olives going on here. The Ranch Dressing mix along with the taco seasoning is what really makes it. I normally don't use pre-made seasoning blends from the grocery store but in this recipe it's highly appropriate. It's casual food that's still fit for company because of how delicious it is. Make sure to serve with corn chips for scooping, green onion and plenty of sour cream or cheese, or both! The original recipe calls for meat, but of course I made it vegetarian. To do the same, substitute 3 more cans of beans total, one of each called for and omit the meat.

Taco Soup

adapted from Paula Deen

serves 6 (vegetarian version serves slightly more, about 6-8 because of the extra beans)

2 pounds ground beef, ground turkey, or a mixture of both (I made this vegetarian by substituting 3 more cans of beans for the meat)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 -15 oz can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 - 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained or 2 cups frozen corn
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 14.5 oz can mild rotel (tomatoes with chile's)
1-2  cups water
1 - 4.6 oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup green olives, sliced (optional)
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 -1 oz package ranch salad dressing mix 

Garnish
corn chips, sour cream, cheddar cheese,

green onions, and pickled jalapenos

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large pot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, rotel, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, 1 cup water and ranch dressing mix. If you need additional water to make a soup consistency, add another cup. Bring everything to a simmer and cook together for 20 minutes. The added water will work with the seasoning mixes to thicken the soup. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Serve!

You can also make this in a crock pot. If you plan on freezing this soup for a swap or even just leftovers- freeze your bags as flat as possible for the best storage, like pictured.

"Favorite Things" Big Christmas Giveaway

Jingle...Jingle...Jingle

Can you hear those sleigh bells ring?

It's

Krysta’s Favorite Things

BIG Christmas

Giveaway!

I miss Oprah. And I know I'm not the only one. So, in the spirit of the Holiday season, I am hosting my own mini version of the "favorite things" giveaway and giving my readers a chance to win four different prizes! Here's how it works:

Prizes are broken up into four different categories. The lucky winner will get to pick ONE prize from each category. All you need to do is :

1) Follow or be a follower of my blog

2) leave me a comment telling me which items from each category you would like if you win. Choose wisely because this is what I will use to determine what to send you. One comment per person, please.

* If you blog about this giveaway or mention it on facebook or twitter, leave me an additional comment telling me so and I will enter you again for each.

I will pick the winner on Wednesday, November 23rd, hopefully using the random computer generated thingy if I can ever figure it out. Otherwise it will be done the old fashioned way-names in a hat. I'm sorry you have to click on a link to see some of these items but Sur La Table does not allow me to upload their pictures. Boo!

Oprah usually aired her Favorite Things show around Nov. 20th, so I'm a bit early, but I'm sure you don't mind.

*I can only ship to USA, so please only enter if you have a valid US address.

I am SO excited for this! Good luck everyone!

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Catagory 1-

1) Pepperberry Wreath and Garland- Handmade with fresh salal, cedar spiral eucalyptus, pepperberries, cinnamon sticks, pine cones and a festive red ribbon.

Click here to see

2) Breville Electric Milk Frother- Perfect for Hot Chocolate- This machine quickly and precisely heats up to 25 oz. of milk to your ideal temperature, and froths it into perfect microbubbles with a uniformly silken texture. If you like it extra hot or on the cooler side, select your preference using the temperature control. Put this compact appliance to work making rich hot chocolate, steaming milk for lattes or creating airy foam for cappuccinos. Two removable frothing discs are included-one for lattes, the other for cappuccinos

3)European Cheese Hamper-Includes:-Robolio Rustica- A washed rind cow’s milk cheese that’s nutty and aromatic with a soft, supple interior 14 oz. -Scharfe Maxx- An artisian Swiss cheese from master cheesemakers Kaserei Studer that combines rich nutty flavors with delicate hints of mushroom. 8 oz. -Chaource- A bloomy –rinfdcow’s milk cheese with rich, buttery flavor and hints of toasted nuts. 8.8 oz. -Carbonocio- A creamy Italian cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk cheese by Caseificio dell’Alta Langa prized for it’s velvety texture and buttery flavor. 5 oz. -Thin crackers from Sardinia and Panpepato- A chewy dried-fruit and nut cake from Siena. All packaged in a beautiful wicker basket hamper.

4) Etched Wine Decanter and Set of 4 Tumblers- These are my favorite go-to everyday wine glass. I use mine all the time. The flat glasses-not stemmed.

5) Breville Panini Press- I use mine weekly for grilled cheese.

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Catagory 2-

1)Large Double Handled Soup Bowls- set of 4. These durable bowls can be used for soup or chili, and are oven safe for pot pies.

2) Cuisinart Smart Power Compact Blender- A slim powerhouse that does it all. Four to-go cups. Great for individual smoothies or salad dressings, baby food and more. Pick your color: Plum, Blueberry, Pomegranate, Parsley or Lemon.

Click here to see

3) Winter Forrest Hand Soap, Lotion and Dish Soap Set- Williams Sonoma’s Essential Oils collection is biodegradabale earth-friendly formulations that contain no parabens, ammonia, chlorine or lauramide DEA, and are made in the USA without nimal testing. Gift sets come in a stainless stell wire caddy. Winter Forrest scent.

4) Chocolate-Chocolate Croissants- This offering from Jean-Yves Charon is a chocolate lover’s dream. To create the decadent flavor, he adds rich European cocoa powder to his traditional buttery puff pastry dough and a filling of the finest Belgian chocolate. To enjoy them fresh from the oven, simply let the frozen croissants rise overnight then bake. The delicate flaky pastries emerge with richly browned chocolate colored exteriors and velvety melted-chocolate interiors. Set of 15. Perfect for all that family you have coming to town.

5) 12 Piece All Purpose Glass Wine Set-

Generously sized, ideal for red or white wines, conveniently boxd and perfect for holiday giftgiving-to yourself or someone else-Dishwasher safe. Set of 12.

Click here to see

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Catagory 3

1)Vintage Style Rose Wine Stopper- Cabbage Rose Knobs resemble old iron ornamentation. Handmade in the USA. Approx. 2" diam., 3" h. Pick your color: red, green or gold.

2) The Barefoot Contessa-Family Style Cookbook- By Ina Garten. The cookbook that taught me to cook. Beautiful photo’s of every recipe such as: Parmesan Chicken, Penne with Five Cheeses, Roasted Vegetable Soup, Provencal Stuffed Tomatoes, Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins, Summer Pudding with Rum Whipped Cream, and many, many more. Her recipes turn out perfectly every single time.

3) Cuisinart Smart Stick Immersion Blende

This ultra versatile kitchen helper blends and chops in bowls, pots and more with simple one touch continuous or pulse control. Pick your color.

4) Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Fathers Daughter Cookbook-

5) Naturally Flavored Gray Salt Collection-

Roasted Garlic, Sundried tomato and Citrus rosemary

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Catagory 4-

And last but certainly not least:

A one-year subscription to any of the following magazines:

-EVERYDAY FOOD-MARTHA STEWART

-SOUTHERN LIVING

-FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE

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Ready? GO!

Brie and Raspberry Panini

Kel made me this sandwich for the first time about 2 months ago. Guess what Kel has eaten almost everyday for lunch the past 2 months? Healthy, right? She drizzles hers with organic honey and insists it is somehow good for you because of that. I mean, it's organic. Let's get this straight Kel. You drizzled added sugar onto white crusty bread with melted cheese in the middle and yet somehow, that's healthy in Kel-land. Yep, that just happened. I just called you out.

Good thing something doesn't have to be healthy to be absolutely slap-yo-face-stupid-delicious. Which is why I reserve eating this sandwich to about every two months or so. Any more than that and I'm scared I'd get addicted and eat it everyday...like Kel. Oh, don't go and get all mad now. You know I'm kidding you in the most honest but lovingly sincere way. People, think of baked brie on toasted baguette with raspberry. That is basically what this is. Ridiculous. I rest my case.

Jingle...Jingle...Watch for tomorrow :)

Brie and Raspberry Panini

Crusty white, sourdough or Italian bread

Brie cheese, sliced in 1/4" thick slices

raspberries, halved vertically

butter

Lightly spread butter on the outsides of the bread. Fill sandwich with slices of brie and raspberry halves and press butter sides up and down in a preheat panini press until melted and golden. Or you can do this the old school way in a non-stick skillet over medium heat a la grilled cheese.

Orzo with Feta, Arugula and Cranberries

In the month of November we all know and look forward to having Thanksgiving. But if you are looking for inspiration for the other 29 meals that also happen this month, look no further. This time of year, it's easy to eat rather heavily, isn't it? What with all the potatoes and bacon being in season and all. What? Bacon is always in season. But if you are looking for fall flavors without the guilt may I suggest this orzo? It's earthy, easy, and tart-sweet and savory. It can be a lunch, a side dish or a main for dinner, like we ate it. You can even go crazy and add some chicken if you are the poultry eating type.

Or turkey (leftovers?) But we weren't going to Thanksgiving on this post, were we? Dang.

You can also make this with whole wheat orzo if you can find it. The nuttiness would be really great here. Eating a big bowl of orzo for dinner alone sound weird to you? It shouldn't. It's no different than a big bowl of pasta, only healthier because of the ingredients therein. So pop in a movie, snuggle in on the couch with your sweetie, or friend and enjoy your orzo straight up. Stuff is addicting.

Orzo with Feta, Arugula and Cranberries

adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis via Week of Menus
Serves 6-8 as a side

Serves 4 for a main meal

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for tossing the pasta
2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup dried cranberries
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
13 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let cool slightly.

Mix together in a bowl, 1/3 cup olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

While the orzo is still slightly warm, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, including dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve. The arugula will wilt slightly from the heat of the orzo, which is exactly what you want.

Jingle...Jingle- Stay tuned. I have a rather big giveaway coming...

Oh, How Pinteresting-Food Edition

Here's this week's pins. Can't wait to try some of these out.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Lighter Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

Mushroom, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad

Avocado Chicken Parmigiana

Healthy Chocolate Banana "Ice Cream"- frozen banana plus cocoa

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Vegetarian Chili

I'm over at Katie's blog today: Keep Calm and Carry On, talking about vegetarian chili. And yes, I also provided instructions for good ole fashioned meat chili too. The recipe has won three chili cook off's to date. Get thee over there and check it out. :) xoxo Krysta.

You know when you type out your name and it looks strange, like so familiar that it's foreign? Yeah, I just did that.

Stress Free Thanksgiving Guide

There are certain holidays that call for a fair amount of planning and organizing to pull off easily. Thanksgiving is certainly one of them. Whether you are hosting a pot luck or doing all the work yourself, these tips and tricks from my own experience and Martha Stewart (who else?) are sure to help you relax and enjoy the big day.

1) Get organized- a few days before Thanksgiving go through your fridge and pitch everything you don't need (old leftovers, that cocktail sauce you used once, etc). If you are lucky enough to have an extra fridge in the garage, clean that out as well or move items from your main fridge into it to create more space. An organized fridge is a huge stress reliever.

2) A few weeks ahead plan your menu. Gather your recipes and give them the once over, noting temperatures and times and think about how you will strategize cooking. Make sure a few things get cooked in the oven and a few things on the stove. If you are hosting a pot luck, designate who should bring what so you don't wind up with duplicates of the same dish. Tell people what you will be handling, and ask what they would like to bring. Also, it is not rude to mention that you could use another green vegetable for the table, and so fourth. If you are terrified of the turkey, it's fine to ask someone else to bring it. It can rest on the car ride over! Make your pie dough. The dough can be made and frozen up to three months in advance and thawed just before baking. You can also make it and keep in the fridge a few days before Thanksgiving if you are like me and like things fresh.

3) A few days before- buy the wine and chill the white and champagne. Buy something simple like cheese and grapes to put out for an appetizer while you cook away. You'll be glad you have something to munch on, especially if you have help in the kitchen. Buy and table decorations needed as well. Thaw the turkey (a turkey can take anywhere from one to six days to thaw in a regrigerator. I would bet on three days as long as you don't have a massive turkey. The rule of thumb is one day in the fridge for every four or five pounds.) Prep all of your vegetables and store in containers or ziplock bags. Label, so you don't get confused. This puts you one step ahead when you begin cooking. Chopping vegetables can be sort of a time hog!

4) Day before- Prepare cranberry sauce and casseroles. Cover and store in the refrigerator. I take a sharpie and write on the plastic wrap covering casseroles how long they need to bake and at what temperature so I don't need to look again. Most likely they will just need warming through. The day of, you can take the casseroles out of the fridge and allow to set out at room temperature for an hour or two to take the chill off. You can warm these up in the oven after your turkey is cooked and resting. Thaw pie crust in the fridge if you have them made ahead and stored in the freezer. My favorite no-fail pie crust is Ina Gartens. Make mashed potatoes. They can be made the day before and warmed up very slowly over low heat when needed. Add milk to moisten as needed.

5) Day of- Turn music on to get with the festive mood.

Set the table and arrange centerpieces first thing. The only items I make from scratch the day of Thanksgiving are the turkey, the stuffing and the pies. I make the pies in the morning (usually an apple, pumpkin and pecan) and store the pumpkin in the fridge and pecan and apple are fine at room temperature. Next, I make and bake the stuffing so it is cooked through and only needs warming before sitting down. Then I tackle the turkey. I make sure I know exactly what time I need to put that sucker in the oven so it is ready when I need it. Remember to calculate resting time into that equation. You can warm all the sides in the oven after the turkey comes out. You will most likely have a good 30-35 minutes needed for the turkey to rest and then you'll have to carve it before sitting, so there is plenty of time for the sides to warm up. Use that time to warm the cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes (and collard greens if you are at my house) on the stove top. Then, whip your cream for pies and store in the refrigerator until you are ready for it. You'll be glad you did that before the meal and whipped cream will store fine for a couple hours after beaten.

6) Give props- To give all potluck cooks their due, write the menu-along with each cook's name beside his or her dish to post on a chalkboard or side board.

7) After the meal have dry dish towels ready for anyone who asks. Don't be crazy. Let people help you clean if they offer. You don't need to direct people on where the gravy boat goes and so fourth (that drives me mad because I cannot mulitask). Just clear a space on a countertop and have people dry the dishes and leave them there for you to put away later.

8) Don't waste that turkey carcass! After you take the meat off the bones, store it in the fridge and make turkey stock with it the next day. Just place the carcass in a large stockpot, fill with water, herbs (I like thyme, parsley and dill), raw onions, carrots and celery and garlic (which you will probably have left over anyway, plenty of salt and pepper and let it simmer together for 1 1/2 hours. Not up for cooking so soon after the big meal? You can also wrap the carcass up well and freeze until you can face it again. :)

The ghost of my family's Thanksgiving's past:

My sister, me and mom

Ready to eat!

The table

My son helping me get the desserts ready (Thanksgiving 2008)

I wish everyone a happy, organized and stress free Thanksgiving this year!