Crock-pot Baked Potato Soup

I find this a little salty, but it doesn't really bother me because I like salt.  The original recipe called for 3/4 cup bacon bits, but that sounded gross, so I cook real bacon.  The most time-consuming part of this is washing and cutting the potatoes, cooking up the bacon, and washing a gross bacon pan.  It smells amazing all day while it cooks in the slow cooker, though.

10 red potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 package bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup half and half
Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Spray crock pot with cooking spray, and place potatoes on the bottom of the crock pot.  Sprinkle flour over the potatoes, and toss to coat.

Add crumbled bacon, red onion, garlic, ranch dressing mix, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Pour broth over everything.  Cook on low 7 to 9 hours.

Add half and half, stir, and cook an additional 15 minutes.  Garnish with cheese and green onions.

Hot Buttered Rum

Okay, not a food recipe, but this is one of my favorite drinks, and it's so good in the winter.  The extra butter keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks, and you can use it to make individual servings easily whenever you want.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened (leave out the salt below if you're using salted butter)
2 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
Dark rum (I usually use spiced rum like Captain Morgan's, and it works well for this.)
Boiling water

Cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Refrigerate until almost firm.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the butter mixture into a mug.  Add 3 ounces of rum and top with boiling water.  Stir well and serve immediately.

Roast Carrot Coins

This is super simple and hardly needs a recipe, but the kids like them a lot, so I'm adding it.

Ingredients

• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into approx. 1/4 inch circles, about 2 cups
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. 2. Place all of the ingredients on a baking sheet and toss to combine.
3. 3. Roast for 30 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana

As good or better than Olive Garden's, IMO.

Ingredients

• ½ lb. Italian Sausage (hot or mild; I use mild)
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 (15 oz.) can Great Northern beans
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups half and half
• 3 medium red potatoes (1.5-1.75 lbs.)
• 1 bunch (8 oz.) kale, chopped
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• freshly cracked black pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Squeeze the sausage out of its casing into a large pot. Sauté over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. The sausage should contain enough fat to keep it from sticking, if not add a touch of olive oil. It's okay if a small amount browns on the bottom of the pot.
2. While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add them to the pot and sauté until the onions are softened. The moisture from the onions should help dissolve any browned bits of sausage off the bottom of the pot.
3. Drain and rinse the can of beans. Add the beans, smoked paprika, chicken broth, and half and half to the pot. Place a lid on the pot and let it come up to a simmer over medium heat.
4. While the pot is heating, cut each potato into quarters lengthwise, then slice across into thin slices. Add the potatoes to the pot along with the pre-chopped kale. The kale will fill the pot when it's first added, but the heat from the liquid will wilt it within a few minutes. Stir it occasionally to help the wilting process.
5. Let the pot simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Season with red pepper flakes and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.

Coconut Chicken Soup

• Note that this recipe calls for cooked rice.  Don't get halfway through and then realize you need cooked rice.  This has never happened to me, of course.  Not at all.  This is pretty simple, but the flavors are great, even though they're subtle.  Elena loves it.  Don't skip the limes; they add a nice layer to the dish.
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• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 large red onion, cut in quarters and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
• 1 pound chicken breast or thighs
• 1 14 ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk
• 8 ounces sliced cremini or baby bella mushrooms (regular button mushrooms work fine)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (optional; obviously we leave this out for Mike)
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

1.In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven combine the broth, onion, 1 cup water, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir into the soup, along with the coconut milk, mushrooms, and rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in the 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and fish sauce, if desired. Squeeze in the lime juice to taste and top with cilantro leaves just before serving.

Zucchini Enchiladas

These enchiladas look tough, but they are not. I have also found (and will mark in the ingredients list) that some ingredients are not a big deal if they are left out...you know, for those of us who are forgetful.

Ingredients:
1 can of enchilada sauce
3-4 medium zucchini (depending on the size of the zucchini and the size of the pan)
1 tsp. oil
1/2 c. chopped green onions (I constantly forget these, if you do, just throw some onion powder in)
3 cloves garlic (or 3/4 tsp. of dried minced garlic)
1/2 c. diced green bell pepper (you can also use poblanos or say "Ooops I forgot to buy these...meh.")
1/4 c. chopped cilantro (I often just dump about half a container of dried in and call it good)
8 oz. chopped chicken breast (I hardly ever put this in, I find it doesn't add much unless you need the meat)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
3 Tbs. water (unless you forget the next ingredient)
1 Tbs. tomato paste (or not...)
3/4 c. shredded cheddar

Procedure:
1. Cut the zucchini in half and scoop out the inside, but save the flesh in a bowl, you'll want it. The original recipie called to drop the zucchini in boiling water for 1 minute, but I have found you can totally skip this step and it's just fine. They will look like this:

2. In a pan heat the oil, onion and garlic for about 2 minutes or so and then add everything but the cheese. ONLY ADD about half the can of enchilada sauce though. Cook it three more minutes:

3. Put the stuff you just cooked into the little zucchini boats:

4. Drizzle the enchilada sauce over and add the cheese:

5. Cover with foil and bake 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Eat it.