Tuscan Bean Soup

Hi,   Just spoke to my Brother-in-law.  He is going vegetarian!!  He said he might slip some fish in, once in awhile.  He will LOVE today's menu.
It is "Tuscan bean soup", Olive garden inspired, this soup is a non-meat, hearty, simple recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, trimmed, halved, washed, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 400g can borlotti beans, drained, rinsed
• 400g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
• 80g baby spinach

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and paste. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomato, stock and 1 cup cold water.
2. Using a fork, crush half the beans. Add to pan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
3. Add spinach and remaining beans to pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until heated through. Serve.

I will let you know how the ranch people like it, but I am betting on 4 stars, vegetarian or not.

Hugs, Connie

Cloudy Day and good food. (Comfort and good-for-you)

Hi All!!    It was a cloudy day here, but no rain yet. (WEATHER)

 Last night, we had the most WONDERFUL meal.  Mexican Casserole is a must-eat for your family.  Now you see it, and then it is gone!!  The Ranch bunch rated it at 4+ stars on a 0-4 star scale.  You need to try this one as soon as possible.  It does not cost a lot to fix either.

'Mexican Casserole'

Source: Adapted from eMeals.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

1/2 lb ground beef

1 1/2 cups salsa

1 can chili with beans

8 oz sour cream

3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained

black olives

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350.

2. Spread crushed tortilla chips along the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.

3. Brown the ground beef in a medium skillet; drain. Mix in the salsa and chili with beans. Spread over the tortilla chips.

4. Spread sour cream over the meat and top with diced tomatoes, black olives and shredded cheese.

5. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.    

WONDERFUL!!

Another from the ranch:

Tonight

we tried this pasta.   "As-is" it is only rated at 2 1/2 stars due to it's unlimited spicy-ness.  If you enjoy very spicy food, this one is for you.  If you are like my family and only enjoy a tad bit of heat, cut the chili pepper flakes in half or more depending on your preference. 

Once again, it is a very economical meal.

From Camilla Salem, YumSugar

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino

Ingredients

7 ounces of spaghetti
2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons of chili pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

The measurements in this recipe can be shifted depending on your taste preferences.

1. Cook spaghetti according to the directions on the package, until it is al dente.
2. Strain spaghetti and place in a large serving dish.
3. Add minced garlic, chili pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix together well.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 2-4



Happy dining, everyone, until next time.
Bye from the ranch!!

Shrimp ala Ranch and Cucumber Salad

 Melt a stick of butter in the pan. slice one lemon and layer it on top of the butter. put down fresh shrimp, then sprinkle one pack of dried italian seasoning. put in the oven and bake at 350 for 15 min. best shrimp you will ever taste!!

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 large cucumber

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1 Tbsp light sour cream

1 tsp finely chopped onion

1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp sugar

Directions

Peel your cucumber - or you can leave the peel on if you want - slice cucumber into fairly thin slices. Place into a colander and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Set on something to catch the water that drains off, and set aside.

Mix together sour cream, onion, dill, vinegar, and sugar. Cover and place in fridge.

Let cucumbers drain and dressing chill for at least an hour, up to 2 hours.

Before serving, rinse cucumbers under running water briefly. Pat dry with paper towel.

Toss dressing with cucumbers and serve. 

ENJOY!!

Another wonderful day at the ranch

The weather was great here today!! A great day to try a new recipe.

This one is courtesy of "the frugal gals" blog. I have found some very good ideas there.

 The ooey gooyness of this recipe cannot be underestimated!! It is great!! We have tried an apple version of this recipe and the berry. Both are rated at 4 stars. This is SOOO good and good for you! 2 ingredient cake Mix together, 1 Angel Food cake mix (dry) and 1, 20 or 22 ounce can of fruit pie filling. That's it! Bake in an ungreased 9x13 pan at 350 for 28-30 minutes. It will puff up.

 VERY good. Rated 4 stars by the entire family!! I have only tried the Betty Crocker Angel food cake mix. The frugal girls suggest only that brand. SO EASY and SO GOOD!! Later: some gardening tips!! See you then!!

8 can Taco Soup

Hi folks, another installment in the wonderful world of food. This recipe gained 4 stars also and is fast, easy and a sure thing. Wonderful 8 can soup. I originally got this recipe from a fellow blogger, High heels & grills. 

www.highheelsandgrills.com/2012/09/8-can-taco-soup.html"> Ingredients: 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained 1 (15.25 oz.) can sweet corn, drained 1 (12.5 oz.) can white chicken breast, drained 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup 1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce 1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth 1 packet taco seasoning Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a large pot. Heat until warm, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips. A wonderful recipe!! Good morning from the ranch!!

Introduction

     Welcome to our blog.  This has been an idea-in-the-making for awhile.  It all started with Pinterest.  I decided to try as many of the recipes on my unsuspecting family as possible.  We then rated them on a 0-4 star scale.  0, being the worst meal and 4 stars, the best. 
     We live in the panhandle of Idaho.  It is a remote location, to be sure.  We are a few of the 1,260 people here.  Yes, we have to have satellite internet.  It is a quiet life.  Everyone has lived in the largest cities before but prefer the lovely life offered here in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

     The "ranch family" ranges in ages from 13 to 60. Their tastes differ for food, but all enjoy fresh, basic food.
     Our first dish to discuss is "Chuck's famous Ham and Beans with Cornbread".  Our weather today was cool and overcast.  We all have a cold. (weather)  Perfect weather for Ham and Beans or soup!! Yum!!

     Here is Chuck, of "Ham and Beans" fame to tell you what he did to turn this into one of our most requested meals, here at the ranch.

This is an old Missouri entree, and I think I've about got it perfected. First, get a bag of navy or great northern beans and soak in cold water for eight hours or so, until the beans puff up. We like Honeybaked hams, so keep the bone and remaining ham after you've devoured the sliced portion. Or use whatever hambone or ham portion you have. I rinse the ham in hot water to remove any glaze. Put the bone, half a whole onion, and soaked beans (drained) in a big crock pot, cover with hot water, and turn on high for about ten hours, until the ham and bone fall apart. Overnight works well. Take it off heat, let it cool, pick out the bones and onion and discard. Stick the crock pot in the fridge until the fat solidifies on top, so you can skim it off. Turn the crock pot back on high and add an envelope of bean soup mix. There's a brand named "Bear Creek" that I like. Cook until the beans are kind of disaggregated and it gets soupy. Add salt and pepper to taste as cooking goes on. Serve over cornbread.. 

Tomorrow, another recipe from the ranch.  Nite, folks.