Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder

(serves 8)

Ingredients:4 (6 1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams (including juice)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
6 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups half and half

Directions:Add clams and juice to slow cooker.  Add cream of mushroom soup, potatoes, celery, garlic, onion, bacon, basil, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper to slow cooker.  Mix thoroughly until combined.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.  Add half and half and cook on high for one additional hour.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

NOT YO MOMMA’S SHEPARD’S PIE

Note to Linz: takes about 3 hours to make.......make ahead.....30 mins to bake

Shepard’s Pie

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 large red potatoes, 2 peeled/2 with skins cut into 1-inch pieces

2 lbs ground turkey, thawed

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1 cup frozen organic sweet baby peas

1 cup frozen fresh sweet corn

1 large zucchini, diced

1 large yellow summer squash, diced

4 large Roma tomatoes, diced

2 tsp fresh minced garlic

1.5 tsp salt (separated)

1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbs parsley

2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

 In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to boil.  Prepare the sweet and red potatoes.  Once water boiling, add the cut potato pieces into water.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes until potatoes are soft.

 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 and brown ground turkey in a large skillet.  Place browned ground turkey to the side.  In the same large skillet, add onion and carrots.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until carrots are slightly tender.  Add peas and corn and cook until warm.  Remove from heat.  Return ground beef to vegetable mixture.  Add zucchini, squash, tomatoes, garlic, 1 tsp salt, and Italian seasoning.  Mix wellSince I’m thinking about YOU and your future dinners, this will actually provide you enough to make 2 casseroles (one for dinner tonight ANDone to freeze for later use).  In two 9x3x13, spread turkey mixture evenly on the bottom.

Your potatoes should be getting soft at this point.  Drain the potatoes well and return them back to the pot and then mash them good.  Add 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix wellScoop the potato mixture evenly over the top of the turkey mixture.  Use a spoon to smooth the top.  Wrap one dish tightly with clear wrap or apply airtight lid before freezing.  For the dish you’re enjoying for dinner, bake uncovered for 25 minutes until top slightly brown.  Sprinkle cheese on top and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese has melted.  Serve warm.

TORTELLINI, CHICKEN, AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts, thawed and cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1 Tbs Coconut or Olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 8 cups (64 oz) natural chicken stock or broth, low sodium
• 48 oz fresh or frozen tortellini
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp parsley

Instructions

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, onion, and celery. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onions are slightly translucent.

Add chicken stock/broth and bring to boil.

Add chicken pieces, tortellini, bell pepper, mushroom, jalapeno, black pepper, and thyme. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until chicken no longer pink and tortellini tender.

Remove from heat and add parsley.

MULTIGRAIN WAFFLES

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup quick whole oats
• 2 Tbs flax seeds or flax seed meal
• 2 Tbs chia seeds (optional)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups vanilla almond milk or vanilla coconut milk
• 2 Tbs pure honey or agave

Instructions

Combine all dry ingredients or first 7 ingredients together well in medium-sized bowl. Mix well.

Add milk and honey into dry ingredients and mix well.

Pre-heat waffle iron. Grease waffle iron with light olive oil cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup batter in center and bake to preference.

Swig Sugar Cookie

Ingredients:

1 C Butter (room temperature)

3/4 C Vegetable Oil

1 1/4 C Sugar

3/4 C Powdered Sugar

2 T Water

2 Eggs

1/2 t Baking SodaCream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs.

Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture.

Mix until everything is combined.  Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.

Roll a golf ball sized ball of dough and place it on your cookie sheet

Now its time to give these babies their signature rough edge.  Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.)  Stick the bottom of a glass in it.  This is going to be your cookie press.

Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball.  You want your dough to spill out over the sides of the glass.  If there is a lip its even better.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  They should just barely be browning on the bottom.    Move cookies to a cooling rack.  Once they are cool put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup room temperature butter

3/4 C Sour Cream

Approx 1 2lb Package of Powdered Sugar (I never use the whole thing but love having extra on hand just incase I add to much milk!)

1 t salt

1/4 C Milk

Red Food Coloring

Start by creaming together butter and sour cream and salt.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not frosting like add a splash of milk.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve.  The magic of a Swig Sugar Cookie is that the cookies are cold and the frosting is room temperature.  Frost right before serving (if you make them in advance and need to refrigerate the frosting make sure you give it time to warm up before serving)

1/2 t Cream of Tarter

1 t Salt

5 1/2 C Flour

FRESH SWEET CORN SALSA

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen sweet corn, rinsed with warm water
• 1 (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional if you like your salsa HOT!)
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 packet of dry Italian seasoning dressing (I usually only use half the packet)

Instructions

In large bowl, combine corn, black beans, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeno. Stir gently.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil, and dry Italian seasoning. Stir well and pour over top and gently stir until mixed well. Chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving for best results.

Serve with your favorite chips or on top of tacos.