Tag: one pot meals

Food

Steak and Potato Foil Packs

meghanewhite

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Steak and potato foil packs make a perfect summer meal. Tender steak and savory potatoes melt in your mouth. No need to heat up your oven on a hot day. Throw these foil packs on your grill, and in about thirty minutes you will have a delicious supper.

Foil packs are often used while camping, which is a great idea. You can easily cook them on your grill too. This simple, flavorful dinner adds variety to your cookouts. You don’t need to marinade the steak. Just toss everything together and cook. The most time consuming part is the prep, but so worth it.

If you’ve never made foil packs I hope you give these a try. They are yummy!

Happy Eating!

For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

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Steak and Potato Foil Packs 

Yield: 4 servings 

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lbs top sirloin steak cut into thin 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

juice of one lime

4 cloves crushed garlic

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)

fresh chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

4 tablespoons butter (1 T. each) for the top of meat/potatoes before sealing the foil 

Equipment

heavy duty aluminum foil cut into 4 large squares approximately 12 x 12 inch

 

Instructions 

  1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, worcestershire sauce, lime juice, garlic, thyme, parsley, oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flake.
  2. Add steak, potatoes, and onion. Mix really well to coat everything.
  3. Drizzle about a 1 tablespoon of olive oil on each foil square. Evenly divide the steak and potato mixture between the four pieces of foil.
  4. Salt and pepper each pile, and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the top.
  5. Fold the foil in half like an envelope. Tightly seal the sides and top with a double fold.
  6. Grill the foil packs over medium high heat for 15 minutes per side, for a total of 30 minutes.
  7. Let the foil packs sit for 5 minutes before opening. They will be very hot. Carefully cut a small “x” shape at the center and peel back the foil. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Notes 

  • The steaks will be well done using this method. If you prefer your steak with some pink at the center you will need to cut the steak into 2 inch pieces and cook for 10 minutes each side, or until desired doneness. The potatoes will need to be boiled for 5 minutes before adding to the seasoning mixture and before grilling, if you want medium steaks.
  • While grilling the packs, rotate them a few times per each 15 minutes so they don’t burn.
  • Use the heat of the grill, and try and avoid the flame. If you want to place the foil packs over direct flame you will need to double the foil to prevent burning. 
  • Only turn the foil packs over once on the grill. 
  • If a foil pack tears just add another piece of foil over the tear and continue grilling. 

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Photo credit: Meghan E. White 

Faith, Food

Chicken Tortilla Soup

meghanewhite

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I love soup. It’s hearty, and can be loaded with all sorts of goodness. This one has shredded chicken, black beans, corn, cilantro, and a few other ingredients that make a filling meal. Some soups can be bland and mushy. Chicken tortilla soup is flavorful and scrumptious. No soggy soup here.

This lovely soup comes together pretty quick. You can easily make this on a busy weeknight. As long as your chicken is already cooked, you’re good to go. If you’ve got some leftover chicken on hand that would work too. 

One pot meals are some of my favorites. No cooking multiple things all at once. Juggling the oven, and the stove top can be a challenge. I cook like that quite often, and I don’t mind it. But, using the same pot for the entire meal is such a nice break from the norm. 

This particular version of chicken tortilla soup calls for hominy, which is dried corn kernels that are soaked in an alkaline solution. Basically, hominy is big puffy corn. I do not use hominy for this soup since it’s not at my local Aldi. Instead, I use white beans as a replacement. If you like hominy, or you’re just curious, give it a try. 

Something that I add to make this recipe even more delicious, is homemade tortilla strips. It’s worth the extra time to fry up your own tortillas. The flavor and richness that the fresh tortilla’s add is mouthwatering. If you are not up for that, just add store bought tortilla chips to the soup. Still very good and easy. 

Enjoy this fantastic soup.

Happy Eating!

Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. 

Matthew 4:4

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 diced onion

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (32 oz.) container chicken broth 

1 cup water

3 to 4 boneless, skinless, cooked chicken breast (shredded)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1 cup whole kernel corn

1 cup hominy or 1 (15 oz.) can white beans

1 (4 oz.) can green chiles 

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

homemade tortilla strips 

sliced avocado

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

  1. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook until soft.
  2. Add oregano, chili powder, tomatoes, chicken broth, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Add the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, hominy or white beans, green chiles, and cilantro to the pot. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. While the soup is cooking make your tortilla strips.
  5. Serve up the soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips, sliced avocado, Jack cheese, and cilantro.

Notes:

  • Always taste while you are cooking. Check if salt is needed, especially if low-sodium broth is used.
  • Add onions, black olives, or sour cream for toppings.

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Homemade Tortilla Strips

4 to 6 6-inch corn tortillas

¼ cup (approximately) vegetable oil

salt

  1. Slice tortillas into ½ inch strips.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.
  3. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil has a shimmer and coats the bottom of the pan it’s ready.
  4. Cook tortilla strips in small batches for a couple of minutes per side. Turn them once they stiffen up and are golden brown. 
  5. The tortilla strips cook quickly.
  6. Place cooked strips on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

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Check out my monthly column at Mustard Seed Sentinel.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-chicken-tortilla-soup

Faith, Food, Uncategorized

One Pot Lasagna

meghanewhite

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My mom made the best lasagna. As kids, we would request her famous lasagna for our birthday dinners. I attempted my mom’s lasagna once, when I was first married. She stayed on the phone, and talked me through each step. It turned out delicious. I made a second attempt on my own, and it wasn’t so great. I didn’t make it again.

Several years ago I came across one pot lasagna. It has everything I love. It’s Italian, simple, and my family will actually eat it. I cautiously gave it a try, and was surprised by the results. The lasagna turned out well. How could something so simple be so delicious? I didn’t stand at the stove cooking sauce for hours. There is no boiling of lasagna noodles, and then laying them out separately, before you even begin assembling your lasagna. Did I actually make a scrumptious, savory, edible lasagna? Yes! I did. And you can too. 

Just like the title says, it really only uses one pot. Honestly, this recipe holds up against traditional lasagna quite well. It may even be better. I can’t believe I just said that. I’ve had lasagna where the sauce cooked for twenty four hours, and it was very good. One pot lasagna is just as good, in my opinion, and way easier to make. 

Give your family a hearty satisfying meal with this fantastic lasagna.

 

Happy Eating!

 

Now these three remain:

faith, hope, and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

 

One Pot Lasagna

 

1 to 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. mild Italian sausage

8 Oven Ready lasagna noodles (broken into pieces)

1 (28oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce

3 to 5 cloves of crushed garlic

½ cup water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 (7.5oz.) ricotta cheese

6 oz. shredded Mozzarella

 

  1. In a large skillet (at least 12”), saute onions over medium-high heat in olive oil until translucent.
  2. Add in ground beef and Italian sausage. Once the meat is cooked, drain off fat.
  3. While the meat is cooking, add the crushed tomatoes in a large bowl with the tomato sauce and the ½ cup water. Season the tomato mixture with sugar, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
  4. Add lasagna noodles that have been broken into large pieces on top of the drained meat mixture. Do not stir. Just make an even layer of the noodles.
  5. Pour sauce mixture over the broken up noodles. Do not stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and gently stir. Separate any noodles that are stuck together.
  7. Replace the lid, and simmer an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. After the second 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the lid, stir well and separate any stuck noodles.
  9. Put spoonfuls of ricotta cheese evenly over the top. Cover and let it sit, off heat, for 5 minutes.
  10. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted and browned.

 

Notes

* You can use plain ricotta cheese or you can add herbs for more flavor.

* Make sure to use a large oven safe pan.

* To save time, mix up your tomato sauce before you begin cooking.

* Adjust the spices to your taste.

* Break the dry lasagna noodles into approximately 2 inch sized pieces. 

 

 

Check out my monthly column at Mustard Seed Sentinel. You can get this recipe and more. Go to the “More” tab and scroll down to Meghan’s Corner.

https://www.mustardseedsentinel.com/post/meghan-s-corner-one-pot-lasagna