vegetable soup

the perfect cold weather pick me up. light, clean and surprisingly filling. easy to make with any variation of veggies you have on hand.

8 C water
3 boullion cubes
4 med potatoes, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 C shredded zucchini
1 onion
4 carrots
2 tbsp butter
frozen 3 pepper medley
1 can green beans
3 tbsp rice
black pepper
garlic salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp thyme
parmesan cheese

add boullion to water, boil until dissolved. Add potato, can of tomato, zucchini and garlic. meanwhile, melt butter in a pan over med heat, add onion and carrot until just tender and aromatic. add frozen peppers and saute until thawed and soft. add fresh ground black pepper and garlic salt to taste.

add cooked veggies, seasoning (as desired) and simmer over med heat. add can of green beans and rice and cook approx 15min before serving.

serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

mongolian chicken stir-fry

this is a very flexible recipe. use any variety of veggies you prefer or have on hand. can also use shrimp instead of chicken.

• 5-6 boneless chicken tenderloins
• 2 pkgs ramen noodles, broken into small chunks
• fresh broccoli, carrots, onions, snap peas
• canned sliced water chestnuts
• ground ginger
• chili pepper flakes
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• teriyaki sauce

saute chicken in olive oil, cutting into bite sized pieces. add hard veggies, like carrots and broccoli.

bring water to boil for ramen noodles and cook until just finished. drain and remove from heat. set aside.

saute until bright and nearly tender. add 1/4 C teriyaki sauce and equal parts water to a simmer. add remaining veggies and water chestnuts.

add minced garlic and continue to saute until veggies are cooked through. sprinkle stir-fry with ginger, pepper flakes and black pepper, as desired, toss to coat. use sparingly and add more if necessary.

finally, add ramen noodles to stir-fry and toss to combine. serve.

broccoli bacon penne

i love this recipe. alter onion and garlic amounts for picky eaters. the brocolli portion can also be used as a side dish.

• 2 lbs fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 pkg raw bacon, chopped
• chicken tenderloins
• penne pasta

boil water for pasta. add pasta and cook until done.

in a large sauce pan, cook bacon until done. do not drain.

when bacon is done, add broccoli and saute with bacon. cook until broccoli softens and turns bright green.

meanwhile, saute chicken in olive oil in a seperate pan. use spatula to break into bite size pieces. when done, remove from heat and set aside.

when broccoli is cooked, add onion and garlic, saute together. cover pan with foil for approx 10 min. broccoli will just start to brown in spots. add chicken and toss to combine.

top penne with broccoli mixture.

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note: you can make broccoli chicken mix in advance and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. to serve, heat saucepan on med. boil pasta. when pasta is done, drain and add hot pasta to preheated pan. add olive oil so it doesn't stick and add broccoli mix. combine with pasta and saute until warm thoughout.

tortellini pasta salad

super quick, super flexible and the kids love it.

• 12 oz pkg dried tortellini
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/2 cucumber
• sm canned black olives
• 5 oz pkg sliced salami, chopped
• 6 oz crumbled feta
• italian salad dressing, to taste
• fresh basil, to taste
• parmesan, to taste

bring water to a boil for tortellini. meanwhile, chop your veggies and add to a bowl. you can also use whatever you have on hand: canned corn, brocolli, kalamata olives, garbanzo beans, red onion, etc.

mix all veggies and herbs with italian dressing. use enough dressing to coat and marinate the veggies.

boil tortellini until done, approx 8 min. to quickly cool your pasta and sidestep cooling in the fridge, fill a colander with ice and drain your pasta over the ice. mix pasta with ice until ice melts. pasta will be significantly cooled.

add cooked pasta to the marinating veggies. mix in feta cheese and pepper, if desired.

top with parmesan, if desired.

warm baked potato salad

a great side dish, or lunch option.

• 4-5 boiled or baked potatoes
• cooked bacon, crumbled
• chopped green onion
• shredded cheddar cheese
• ranch dressing
• sour cream

chop still-warm potatoes into a large bowl. combine potatoes with bacon, cheese and onions.

stir in equal parts dressing and sour cream until desired consistancy. serve warm.

15 min pot pie

this literally takes 15 min. or less to put together. perfect when cleaning out the fridge of leftovers, or looking for using those 1/2 bags of frozen veggies in the freezer.

• 1-1/2 C cooked chicken or turkey
• 1 C frozen mixed vegetables (corn, bean & pea)
• 1 C frozen broccoli
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• splash of milk
• handful of shredded cheddar cheese
• puff pastry sheet (thawed to room temp.)

preheat oven to 400 degrees. grease pie plate.

combine chicken, vegetables, soup, milk and cheese into a large bowl - mix well. add mixture into the pie plate.

roll out puff pastry on a floured surface, shape onto pie plate, tucking in edges. slit vent holes on top.

cook approx 30 min. or until top is golden and crisp.