Italian Sausage Soup

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Italian Turkey sausage (mild or hot as preferred)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion(1 medium)
• 1 cup diced carrots (2 medium)
• 1 cup sliced celery (2 ribs)
• 1 cup diced bell or poblano pepper (1 lg)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 cups bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth,(then more as desired to thin)
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes or 1 can Rotel Tomatoes with chilis
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup dry orzo pasta (or kale or collard greens)
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Break sausage into chunks into pot, add water or broth if needed.  Let brown on bottom about 3 minutes, then turn and break up sausage and cook until no longer pink.
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• Add onions, carrots, celery and bell pepper and sauté until starting to soften, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
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• Add the rest of the ingredients (except pasta if using) to the mixture (you shouldn't need much salt).
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• Bring to a simmer then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 5 - 10 minutes until veggies are almost soft.  You don't want them too mushy.
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• Add pasta at the end. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally (while scraping along bottom of pot as orzo will tend to stick). Cook until nearly al dente. About 8 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Stir in some ice (1/2 cup or so) if you want to help stop the orzo from cooking and getting mushy. Stir in fresh parsley and basil.
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• Serve warm, topping servings with grated parmesan if desired.

Notes

• Makes about 10 cups.

based on:  https://www.cookingclassy.com/italian-sausage-soup/

Tzatziki Salmon with Greek Spinach Salad and Marinated Beans

Tzatziki Salmon

2 pounds salmon fillets
1 Tbsp Greek seasoning*
½ cup refrigerated tzatziki sauce

Sprinkle fish with seasoning. Grill or Cook fish, skin sides down, in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Turn fish; cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serve with tzatziki sauce 

Greek Spinach Salad with Dressing:
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
1½ Tbsp lemon juice
½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
⅛ tsp Greek seasoning (or use dried oregano)
½ (8-oz) pkg arugula-spinach mix
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ C cucumber, chopped 

Whisk together 1 Tbsp cheese, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and seasoning in a bowl or mini blender. Add salad mix, onion, and cucumber; toss. Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp feta cheese optional.

Serve with White Bean Greek Salad

*Greek Seasoning:
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Mix together and place in small container for use in recipes. 

Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

 

Time to snuggle up with some comfort food that you won't feel too guilty about!

Ingredients-Serves 4

2 spaghetti squash (small)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 cups milk (half and half or chicken broth depending on level of richness/health)

1/2 teaspoon salt optional

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

black pepper or cayenne (to taste)

1/2 C each of onion, bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese)

2 cups chicken breast (cooked, 8 oz., chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)

1/4 cup shredded Italian cheese (mozzarella, provolone, or a blend optional)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley (minced, optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the ends from each spaghetti squash. With a sharp knife, slice each squash in half lengthwise. Spoon out seeds from each squash half. Arrange halves, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet.

Roast the squash for 50-55 minutes on the middle rack of oven, until it is fork tender. While squash bakes, prepare the chicken Alfredo filling.

Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add butter. Once butter is melted, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk to form a paste. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then slowly pour milk into the pan, whisking to dissolve flour.

Cook sauce, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Once thickened, turn off the heat. Add salt, black pepper, and Parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted. Fold in chopped cooked chicken and chopped veggies.

Remove baking sheet from oven and flip squash halves so they are cut side up. Use a fork to toss the strands in each half. Divide chicken Alfredo mixture evenly among squash halves, gently packing it into cavity. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over each mound of filling.

Return baking sheet to the middle rack of oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly golden, and filling is gently bubbling.

Check to see that squash is done. Remove from oven or add time as needed.

Transfer squash halves to serving plates and sprinkle with minced parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Based on this website with my changes:  https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Chicken-Alfredo-Stuffed-Spaghetti-Squash-9083665?makeMode=true&step=2

Garlic Parmesan Rolls

8 tablespoons butter softened

1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped (or 4 teaspoons dried)

2 Tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)

4 cloves garlic minced (or 1 Tablespoon minced from a jar)

2 teaspoons salt (or less)

1/4 cup shredded cheese optional

2 frozen loafs of bread (someday, I'll make bread from scratch)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Frozen bread dough can be thawed out in refrigerator as directed on package.

Cut dough into 1-in. pieces, I use scissors.  Smear pieces with butter mixture (it's messy using hands). Place pieces on 2 thick cookie sheets or cooking stones that are buttered if you have them.  Or layer the buttery pieces into 4 – buttered 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Loosely cover rolls or loaves with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.  Refrigerator will slow the rise if you are hoping to cook closer to dinner and you want to do this ahead of time.  Watch they don't rise too much though.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degrees 15 minutes prior to the full rise.  Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese or cheese of your choice optional.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. The temperature of the baked loaves should read 200 degrees.

Goulash

 

Goulash

Ingredients

• 1 pounds ground beef
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup green pepper (1 large)
• 14 ounces tomato sauce
• 14 ounces tomatoes (for heat, use Rotel tomatoes)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon Adobo sauce or smoked tabasco sauce-optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 14 oz. cans drained kidney beans
• 1 cups uncooked pasta (cooked and drained)
• 1/2 cup cheddar (optional)

Instructions

• In a large pan, sauté your ground beef, garlic, and veggies over medium-high heat until fully cooked. Drain if there's too much fat.
• Add all but pasta and cheese. Mix well.
• Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the cooked pasta and stir. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add only the cheddar cheese then cover and allow to sit until the cheese melts. Serve.
• This recipe stores well in the refrigerator for 5 days in an airtight container. I think it gets better the second day so may ahead if you want.

based on following link with changes that I grew up with:  https://www.callmepmc.com/old-fashioned-goulash-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR11DmVrumM3ehidgHe6X97CiB49hSqgvANjzYphDkRwB8R5-3fzLotEjZ8

Chili

• 1 lbs ground beef
• 14 ounces canned tomato sauce
• 28 ounces canned kidney beans, black beans or pinto beans
• 28 ounces canned tomatoes
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 stalks celery sliced
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/4 cup chili powder or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a heavy bottomed stockpot brown the ground beef.
2. Drain the fat.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
4. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered (keep at a simmer level) for 2 hours stirring occasionally.
5. Serve.

Baked Beans

1 (48 ounce) jar Great Northern beans*
½ pound or more- cooked bacon, sausage or smoked brisket

1/2 cup packed brown sugar, honey or maple syrup

2 small onions, chopped
1 C ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard or a teaspoon mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce optional


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.

Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; drain and cool on paper towels. Crumble bacon once cooled.

Mix all together in the prepared baking dish. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in preheated oven until bubbling, 45 minutes.

*Instant-pot dried beans

1 pound dried beans rinsed and sorted (this is equal to 2 measuring cups full of dried beans)
8 cups water
1 bay leaf optional
1 onion, sliced optional
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar optional

Instructions

Place beans, water and onion and bay leaf if using in pressure cooker.
Place lid on Instant Pot and close valve to "seal."

Cook on High Pressure for Following Times:

• Black Beans--30 Minutes on High Pressure
• Chickpeas--35 Minutes on High Pressure
• Kidney Beans--35 Minutes on High Pressure
• Pinto Beans--25 Minutes on High Pressure
• Navy Beans--30 Minutes on High Pressure
• Butter Beans--40 Minutes on High Pressure
• Great Northern Beans-- on 35 Minutes High Pressure

Allow to naturally release until pressure subsides, or at least 20 minutes before doing a quick release.
Once beans have finished cooking, stir in salt and vinegar if using. Store cooked beans in a bit of the cooking liquid to keep them moist and tender while they sit in fridge, this is not necessary, but suggested.

Notes

For incredibly soft beans without much structure left, and 10 minutes to cook time.
For pre-soaked beans, decrease cook time by 10 minutes.