Crock Pot Chicken Ranch Tacos

This is another recipe that I found on Pinterest.  My family LOVED this and it was very easy!!  This recipe was adapted from the skillet Chicken Ranch Tacos at Do You Smell That!!?

Crock Pot Chicken Ranch Tacos

Ingredients:

2 pounds raw chicken (not frozen)

1 packet dry Ranch dressing

1 packet chicken taco seasoning

1 14.5 oz can chicken broth

Directions:  Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cooked on low for 3 hours.  Shred chicken and cook on low for another 30 minutes.  Assemble taco as you desire.  I always spread my sour cream on my tortilla first when I make tacos...that way I have sour cream in every bite, instead of a few bites with big spoonfuls.

Crock Pot Cheese Tortellini Soup

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it.  It comes from Little Fellows.  This is my new FAVORITE soup!!  I love how easy it is!  I am modifying the recipe by recommending adding the spinach during the last hour, so that it will stay green and not turn brown, but it tastes fine either way.  I actually added some at the beginning, but couldn't fit it all.  I added the rest during the last hour, that is why you can see some green spinach and some that is brown'ish'.

Crock Pot Cheese Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen tortellini (10-12 oz)
1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 box or 4 cups or chicken broth
1 block of cream cheese (8 oz), cut into cubes
1 lb. of roll(ground) sausage (I used hot)

Directions:  Brown the sausage and put all ingredients(except spinach, if you want it to stay green) in crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hrs.  If you don't add the spinach at the beginning, add it ~1 hour before serving.  If the 'sauce' is too thin, leave the lid off during the last 1/2 hour of cooking and it will thicken slightly.  I topped mine with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Fresh Orange Smoothie ("orange julius")

I LOVE Orange Julius'.  Right now we have a lot of fresh YUMMY oranges, so I went looking for a recipe to make an Orange Julius, using fresh oranges.  I found this recipe at gimme some oven and it is delicious!!  We have already made it several times.  My kids beg for it!  It is quick, easy and healthy...three of my favorite things:)

If you have oranges with a lot of seeds, I would try to get most of them out.  A couple of seeds will be okay, but too many and your smoothie will be a little bitter.

Fresh Orange Smoothie ("orange julius")

Ingredients: 

4 fresh oranges, peeled

2 cups ice

1/3 cup milk (your preference – regular, soy, coconut, etc.)

2 Tbsp. honey (or agave nectar, or sugar) – optional 

1 tsp. vanilla

zest of 1 orange

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Add more ice if you would like.

**Ali at gimme some oven suggests that you pop the peeled oranges in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to making these. So that they’re not thoroughly frozen, but definitely chilled and beginning to freeze. Then you can use slightly less ice. :)

Steak Bites

I found this recipe at The Pioneer Woman blog.  We really like these.  I am not very good at grilling steaks, so I leave that to my husband, but these...I can make :)  Easy and delicious!

 

Steak Bites

Ingredients: 

1 pound Sirloin Steak (without Much Gristle) Or Pre-cut Beef Tips 

Kosher Salt To Taste 

Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste 

2-4 Tablespoons Butter

Directions: 

Trim off the large obvious piece of fat that runs along the side of the meat. Next, cut strips less than 1-inch wide. Rotate the meat and cut into small bite-sized pieces. If you see any more large chunks of fat, gristle or long silvery membrane, cut them off.

Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the meat around a bit to thoroughly coat with the seasonings.

Next, turn on your ventilation fan overhead. Heat the skillet over medium high to high heat. As the pan heats, add about 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt, then brown, before you add the meat.
Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan – if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 30-45 seconds. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned.  Cook for an additional 30 to 45 seconds—just long enough to sear the outside of the meat but NOT cook the inside.

Remove the meat to a clean plate. Add a little more butter to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the next batch just as before. Lastly, when all the meat is nicely browned and removed to the plate, pour all that browned/blackened butter all over the meat. And enjoy!