Family Style Vegetable Beef Soup

This soup was simple, with few ingredients and no fuss. It is also so comforting and makes you feel all warm and cozy. Sometimes it's tough to get my kids to eat soups, but they loved all the simple and familiar ingredients in this soup. My family gobbled it up!

1 T olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil garlic and oregano, with liquid
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 package (16 oz)frozen mixed vegetables(mine had green beans, carrot, corn and peas)
1 bay leaf
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 c uncooked macaroni

First brown your beef in the tablespoon of olive oil. Season beef with salt and pepper. After pouring off the excess fat, add all diced tomatoes, beef broth, mixed veggies, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning mix. Fill tomato cans with water and add 2-3 cans worth of water to the pot. (Depends on how hearty you want it...but it will thicken up with the addition of the pasta later on.) Give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and cover the pot and let the flavors blend about 20 minutes. Stir in uncooked pasta and cover again for 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy.

French Bread

I know I have sighted Mel's Kitchen Cafe before on this blog. I am loving her bread recipes and find them easy and delicious! I have been using her french bread recipe for a while now. Perfect with spaghetti and makes amazing french toast the next day, of course!

2 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
5 1/2-6 cups flour stirred before measured

Dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof. Add salt, oil and 3 ups of flour and beat well. Add in 2 1/2-3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky, but be careful not to add too much flour. Knead for a few minutes.

Leave dough in mixer to rest for 10 minutes. Stir down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat a total of 5 times.

Remove dough from mixer and form into french loaves. Slice top of loaf across the top. Cover lightly and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Lighter Beef Tacos

I found this recipe on Marthastewart.com. I was looking for a taco recipe because I didn't have a packet and I needed to know what seasonings to use. I have never bought another seasoning packet again. Mainly because they are packed with MSG. Which we all know is horrible for you. So, use this recipe from now on!

1 large onion
2 bell peppers
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Course ground salt and pepper
3/4 lb. ground beef

Saute onions and bell peppers and cook until crisp-tender. 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Add beef. Cook breaking up meat with a MIX AND CHOP! Until no longer pink. About 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and let simmer, mixing all the ingredients and allowing a sauce to form. Serve warm over tacos, burritos, or taco salad!

Pampered Chef- Thai Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

Oh my. For those of you that don't know, I am a Pampered Chef consultant and have OODLES of recipes right at my fingertips. True. I have already posted a "Peanut Sauce" recipe on here that I make at least a few times a month, but I decided I was going to make all of the recipes out of the Week Day Dinners DONE! booklet this week and this was the first one I made. I enjoyed it SO MUCH I decided to share it!

Enjoy! I am including all of the tools that you can use to make it as well, for you PC Lovers. And, if you want to order any of the tools, please click on my button. Thanks!

3 Limes
1/2 cup creamy peanutbutter
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. Thai Red Curry Rub, divided
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Garlic Cloves
1 medium cut lenthwise into quarters
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 medium carrots, peeled
6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (it is worth a trip to the stor--YUM!)
2 cups cooked white rice. You can use brown, and Jasmin would have been amazing!
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed


Juice two limes to measure 3 Tbs. Cut remaining lime into six wedges; set aside. * I did not measure, and just juiced two limes. To me, it was too tangy. I would just use one, and double the soy sauce.

Combine juice, peanutbutter, broth (forgot it, and I was fine) 2 Tbsp of the rub, soy sauce (double) and pressed garlic. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Cut onion quarters croswise into strips, cut bell pepper into strips and cut the carrot with the Julienne Peeler (it was the first time I had used the peeler, and it was, of course, AMAZING!) Combine carrots and cilantro in bowl and set aside.

Cook rice. Cut chicken on the crosswise on a bais into 1/2 inch slices. Combine chicken remaining rub and salt in Classic Batter Bowl. Heat oil in Skillet over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until simmering. Cook chicken 5-7 minutes or until chicken is browned and centers are no longer pink, stirring occassionally.

Add onions, bell pepper and beans to skillet. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. (I put in the carrots and cilantro too!) Remove skillet from heat. Add peanut butter mixture and remaining cliantro to skillet; mix well. To serve, divide rice among plates; top with chicken and carrot mixtures. Serve with lime wedges.


COOKS TIP -- If you don't have the Thai Red Curry Rub, which I totally recommend after using it tonight, you could use Thai Red Curry Paste. Use 2 tsp. curry paste in the sauce and combine remaining 1 tsp curry paste with chicken mixture.

Carrot Muffins

Our favorite Sunday morning thing is MUFFINS! Peter's favorite are Carrot Muffins. I have tinkered with the recipe several times, much to my husbands dismay. I think I finally have a rendition that I like!

CARROT MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 medium carrots, grated (2 cups)

1/2 cup canned crushed pinneapple, drained

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup raisins

Blend all dry ingredients and add eggs, oil, vanilla, carrots, pinneapple, applesauce and raisins. Stir with a spoon until ingredients are blended. Do not over mix. Scoop into muffin tins and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Buttermilk Cornbread

1/2 c butter melted
2/3 c sugar
1 c buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 t baking soda
1 c corn meal
1 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla

Stir together and pour into a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Garden Stuffed Zuchinni

This was a great recipe that I tried for a get together I had recently. The results were SOOOO good and everyone at the party LOVED it! Even my husband who is not a zucchini fan told me how delicious it was. It was gone so fast I didn't get a picture of it, but I know I will be making this again so I will try to get one then!

1 overgrown zucchini or 4 medium zucchini's
1/2 c onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c bread crumbs
2 eggs
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
2 T fresh parsley (can used dried)
4 T fresh basil cut into thin strips (**see tip)
1/3 c fresh tomatoes diced small
salt and pepper
olive oil

First scoop out the zucchini. The one I used was about 14 inches long, (I wouldn't do one any bigger) Put the scooped out portion in a food processor with onion, garlic, bread crumbs, and parsley. Pulse until evenly and finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor you can do this by hand, just chop everything quite finely. Add egg, Parmesan, tomatoes, and julienned basil by stirring in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop mixture back into hollowed out zucchini "boats". Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Cook at 375 for 30 to 50 minutes depending on the size of your zucchini. Slice and serve warm. Delicioso!
** Basil tip...chop basil by stacking about 5 leaves directly on top of one another. Then tightly roll leaves into a "cigar". Chop crosswise thinly and you'll be left with thin strips of basil perfect for this dish!