slow cooker soups

Here's some good looking soups from pillsbury.com.  Will you be making soup?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Cheesy Chorizo Chili

Two Bean Minestrone

Cheesy Potato Soup

Lentil Chili

Well, another 'Meatless Monday' has come and gone successfully.  I'm really starting to get the hang of this thing- and I'm happy to report that the boys are adjusting well!

Breakfast: Fruit smoothies
One part fruit, one part orange juice, one part vanilla yogurt (about a quarter cup each) and one banana blended until smooth.

Lunch:  Macaroni and Cheese
Cheap and easy- from the box.  Hey, sometimes you just need simple!

Dinner: Lentil Chili served over baked potatoes
This chili is vegan, unless you add cheese and sour cream as a garnish.  I adapted it from this recipe and served it over baked potatoes, although it would be a filling meal on its own.
Now, I am a big fan of beans.  My favorite by far though, is the lentil.  They are relatively simple to make.  They require little prep- you don't need to soak them like you have to with other dry beans which makes the cook time way faster (they cook in less than an hour).  And they provide a rich meaty texture and taste.  They'll fill you up because they are the second highest source of protein found in veggies, legumes, or nuts (behind only soy)!  They are also rich in fiber, vitamin B1, iron, and folate (source).  You can find them in the grocery store with other dried beans and often times in bulk sections. 

Lentil Chili

Ingredients...

1T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2T chili powder
1t dry oregano
1/8t cayenne (more or less depending on your spice level)
1 cup brown lentils, washed
1/4c red lentils, washed
56 ounces vegetable broth
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup sliced green onion (more or less depending on your taste)
6 ounces sliced black olives, drained
12 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
Optional garnishes: lime slices, shredded cheese, sour cream, more olives and sliced green onion

Directions: 

In a large Dutch oven or stew pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sautee until they start to soften.  Add garlic and sautee another minute.  Add chili powder, oregano, and cayenne stirring constantly for another minute or until the spices are fragrant.  Add broth, tomato sauce, and lentils.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until lentils are soft (over an hour).  When lentils are soft add green onion, chopped red pepper, and olives and simmer for another 20 minutes.   
Enjoy!

Meatless Monday

Well, last Monday went well.  So well in fact, the guys didn't miss the meat at all very much.  We were able to follow the menu.  I think that the breakfasts and dinners are kinda easy to work around, it's the lunches that are going to be more difficult.  It's so easy to have a sandwich or a hot dog or even chicken nuggets.  We'll need to do some brainstorming to figure out some quick and easy options the kiddo likes.  For now though, we'll make it easy.

Here's our Round Two.
Breakfast: Peach Pancakes

 I've got some peaches hanging out in the freezer that will work really well for this.  I took them out the night before so they had a chance to thaw a bit before putting them into the batter.  I also left the eggs out overnight so they would get a chance to come to room temp.  As long as you don't leave them out too long (like a whole day or more), eggs won't go bad on the counter.  This is a really great tip if you've got some baking to do and need room temp ingredients.  Take them out before you go to bed and do your baking in the morning.  I also mixed up the dry ingredients, so everything would be super easy for me in the morning.

Lunch:  Bean and cheese burritos
Whole wheat tortillas, cheese and vegetarian re-fried beans.  Right now, beans are going to be my go-to protein.  I know everyone will eat them, and they are always in my pantry!  Maybe soon we'll try tofu... baby steps...

Dinner: Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup, bread and spinach salad

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

I am really excited to try this soup out.  First off it sounds amazing.  Second, it's done in the crock pot.  If it tastes as good as I'm imagining it will, it will definitely be added to the rotation.  Added benefit: it is loaded with veggies (carrots, celery, fresh basil, and tomato) that I'll puree in the end, so no one (ie- the veggie phobes) will be able to pick out "the good stuff"!

I'll let you know how it all goes down, but I'm expecting to pass with flying colors!

Lasagna Soup

Here in the Pacific Northwest we are in the mid of winter.  During January, Mother Nature pretty much bombarded us with every form of precipitation possible.  Snow? Yes. Ice? Of course. Rain? Freezing rain, freezing fog, slush, sleet, blah blah blah!  Basically layer after layer of mess.

Thankfully the last few weeks have been rather mild.  Bits of rain and fog here and there, but temps that aren't too cold and (thankfully) no snow or ice.  There is one good thing about winter though.  You can cook and bake to your heart's content and not worry about the house getting too hot or the soft fluff developing around your mid-section (That's what puffy coats and warm sweaters were made for.  Besides its cold out, you need the extra insulation)!
 
I couldn't be happier.  I have no where I need to go and nothing that has to be done (outside of the usual laundry and house cleaning).  The pantry and freezer are stocked, and the power is on.  What more could you need in the middle of winter?  Well, good food of course!

We had the most amazing dinner the other night.  It was called Lasagna Soup and I found it here.

Aaahh. Comfort and warmth in a bowl.  And not to mention wickedly delicious. 

I did make a few small changes to the recipe.  For instance I used 1/2 pound, each, of spicy Italian sausage and sweet Italian sausage.  I would also add more chicken stock or water during the cooking process, as the liquid tends to cook down, especially if you simmer it for a while, which I did.

Here's my method:

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients

SOUP

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage

1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons dry oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6-8 cups chicken stock

8 oz pasta (I used campanelle)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper

CHEESE

8 oz part skim ricotta

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of fresh ground pepper

2 cups mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add sausage and break apart, brown (about 5 minutes).  Add onions, cook until soft (about 5 more minutes).  Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, stir to combine.  Add paste, stirring until paste turns deep red (a couple of minutes).  Add canned diced tomatoes (juice included), 6 cups chicken stock, and bay leaf.   Stir until all is combined and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes (longer if you can stand it).  Add remaining chicken stock as needed.
Combine all 'cheese' ingredients except for the mozzarella.  Set aside until mealtime. 
When you're ready to eat, cook pasta according to package directions minus a minute.  You want the pasta to still be slightly firm to the bite (al dente).  Place a scoop of ricotta cheese mixture (about 1/4 cup) in the bottom of a bowl.  Top with the same amount of pasta.  Top with a ladle of soup.  Garnish with mozzarella cheese. 
If there are any leftovers (and that's a big if!), store each layer separately.  The pasta would absorb too much of the soup liquid otherwise.  

Enjoy.  Really, I don't know how you couldn't!   Have a wonderful weekend.