Roasted Vegetable Soup

Well...apparently my readers are fans of soup! So here's a second recipe for the week! Made this one for supper last night...and all four of us were huge fans of it! I often grab a bunch of veggies from our fridge, steam them, puree them, add some broth with a little seasoning and attempt to make soup. Sometimes it's amazing, sometimes....it's just soup. Last night I decided to try roasting the veggies first...and let me tell you, it was worth the extra effort! This soup is so simple for the amount of flavour you get...you must try it! It tastes gourmet...seriously...a great and simple way to wow some company:) You'd pay top dollar in a grocery store or restaurant for this soup! Fancy grilled cheese would be a great add-on to this meal! Garnished mine with fresh ground pepper and a swirl of homemade spinach humus:)

Roasted Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS

6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 2-inch chunks
4 carrots, cut into large chunks
4 parsnips, cut into large chunks
1 bundle of celery, cut into chunks
2 sweet red peppers, seeded
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1 bulb garlic, peeled
2 boxes of chicken or vegetable stock

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare all vegetables and garlic.

Toss lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Place veggies and garlic cloves in baking dish...it may take more than one...lightly cover with tin foil so the veggies don't dry out.

Roast in oven for 40-45 minutes. Veggies and garlic should looks nice and caramelized...and be soft enough to puree.

Let cool slightly. Puree using food processor, in batches, gradually adding stock.

Pour pureed soup/stock mixture into a large pot and heat. ENJOY!

*This soup tastes even better the next day...and freezes amazing!

Lasagna Soup

Wanna know something funny? I actually use my own blog when making my meal plan each week and writing up my grocery list! So YES...this is really how we eat all the time!! I hadn't even really noticed I do this until Jay caught me the other day...we both had a good laugh over it.

On that note...remember the challenge I put out there back in January to eat better...plan better...and save a few bucks each month? How are you doing at that? I know in our house it's made a huge difference! I now shop intentionally for groceries by planning all meals, and only buying at the store what is on my list. I've found we can sometimes even go 8 or 9 days with out stopping in at the store again. And by making the list, I don't forget anything! Those quick stops to pick up the one thing I was missing...like eggs or cilantro, two or three times a week...would quickly add up to an additional $10 or $20 a stop because I would be swayed by things on sale, or easy snacks that looked tasty! I've for sure saved about $20-$30 a WEEK this year by planning our meals.

I still often feel that it's pricey to feed our family of four. We were talking about it on the weekend though and decided to break it down per person, per day. We buy everything organic or all-natural, we value that. For our family, it came to about $6-$7 per person, per DAY. That's NOT bad if you saw how amazing we eat!! Not bad when you consider that's the price of a daily venti fancy Starbucks, which we don't buy...the price of a husband grabbing a quick sandwich to-go for lunch, which Jay doesn't do...the price of a magazine at the til in the grocery store (for the record I would LOVE to always buy a food/cooking magazine at the til, but am too cheap to pay the price)! So, we've cut out some luxuries so our kids will grow healthy and strong...worth every penny:)

Alright...on to the soup! This one is SOOO yummy...our boys love it too! Ripped this recipe out of a magazine once...I believe it was Rachael Ray?...and pulled it out of my recipe stash one day to try...I've made it many times since. Pretty quick to whip together...about 30 minutes. This batch makes enough for two meals for us...and actually tastes better the second time around:) ENJOY!




Lasagna Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef - we use grass-fed
Salt and pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped or grated
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 or 5 handfuls of fresh spinach, finely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 lb lasagna noodles, broken into jagged pieces - I use brown rice lasagna
1 cup basil leaves, torn
1 cup ricotta

Directions

In a soup pot, heat the olive over medium heat. Add the beef, season with pepper and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the onion, carrots and garlic and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the spinach and let cook-down for a minute or two with the lid on.

Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth and tomatoes...cover and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup in bowls with a spoonful of ricotta on top.

*We love to sprinkle ours with fresh parmesan too!

Green Enchiladas

One of my favourite things to do on my iphone is search food blogs!! Most people hop on Facebook or Twitter with their spare moments throughout the day...but I read food blogs! You should see the lists of recipes that I've bookmarked...all with hopes of one day trying them!! I stumbled upon this blog a month or so ago and these enchiladas immediately caught my eye. We are HUGE Mexican food fans in this house...all four of us...so these were a must:) They are incredibly FRESH tasting, and super simple & quick to make...especially if your chicken is left over from dinner the night before. These are possibly one of the best things we've ever tasted...no lie.

Here's the recipe...altered a bit from the original blog. I only used half the amount of recommended cream cheese...and we loved it...but I will advise that the cream cheese is what tames down the heat in this sauce...so if you aren't fans of spice then include the full 8oz. The flavour in these will knock your socks off...even before the heat does!! I didn't feel the need to sprinkle cheese on the top...but go ahead if you think it needs it. The cream cheese on it's own already does a good job of creating that bubbly crusty edging. For a baked meal you will not believe how 'fresh' these guys taste...SO good!!

I gave myself a good 45 minutes to prep these, but was THRILLED that they took me less than 10 minutes to throw together (with my chicken already pre-cooked).

I'm curious to try these with some grass-fed beef...but to be honest...I think the chicken compliments them best.

Green Enchiladas

1 bunch Cilantro
2 cups salsa verde (jarred green salsa...available in most stores)
1 onion
1 jalapeno (with seeds if you like the heat)
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz cream cheese (I only used 4 oz)
8 whole wheat tortillas
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cups monteray jack cheese, shredded (I skipped this step)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Place the first five ingredients into your food processor or blender. Pulse until all mixed and chopped!

Stir in cream cheese. Reserve about half of the sauce...add the shredded chicken to the other half.

Dribble some green sauce into the bottom of your favourite casserole dish. This prevents the rolled tortillas from sticking or burning. Place about 1/2 cup of the green chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll them and place close together in your dish.

Pour remaining green sauce over the rolled tortillas.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the green enchiladas are heated throughout and a little bubbly around the edges. If using the cheese...sprinkle on top and bake an additional 5 minutes.

ENJOY!!...we DID!!!

We ate these as a meal on their own...but they would be great served with some rice and re-fried beans if you're entertaining!

This is the only recipe of Maria's I've tried...but I look forward to testing more!!

Sweet Potato & Ground Turkey Shepard's Pie - No Crust

Turkey Dinner Anytime!!! That's what I call this meal! Started making this dish about 2 years ago...and it's always a crowd-pleaser! Saw an episode of Rachael Ray way back when and she made something similar...relatively simple to whip up...and a meal in itself...gotta love that! No photos of this dish...YET...as I always forget to take one!! I plan on making this for dinner tonight though...so hold on for a photo to be added asap!



First things first...can you believe our little turkey...Levi...is going to be TWO tomorrow!! This was taken by the lovely and talented Daniela Sitar when Levi was just 5 days old...at 10lbs 4 oz he was already pouring over the edges of the turkey platter! I thought it might be cute to re-create this photo this Thanksgiving...but decided that our 'little' 36lb turkey (a.k.a. Levi) might now require additional supports under the dining room table! Oh what a cute little turkey he would be though:)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Sweet Potato & Ground Turkey Shepard's Pie - No Crust

INGREDIENTS

5 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1-2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped
5 stalks of celery, chopped
2 tsp poultry seasoning
salt & pepper
4 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
2 cups turkey, chicken or vegetable broth
Few dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 cups frozen peas

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil or steam sweet potatoes in a large pot until soft, about 15 minutes.

In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon. Stir in the onion, carrots, celery and poultry seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 7 minutes...until the veggies are all softened.

In a small pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the broth and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then stir into the turkey mixture. Stir in the peas and remove from the heat.

Drain the sweet potatoes and mash until nice and creamy...add butter if desired!

Take out your favourite casserole dish and pour the turkey mixture into it. Top it off with the mashed sweet potatoes.

Place in preheated oven for about 15 minutes...just so the flavours all have time to set and mix together.

ENJOY

ps...pumpkin pie is ALWAYS a great follow-up to this dinner!

pss...freezes great...or make ahead earlier in the day and set in fridge...then reheat in oven until hot throughout!

One-Pot Macaroni with Garden Fresh Vegetables

It's been so overcast and cool here today that it kinda got me thinking that I should do something with the ground beef in my freezer. Normally in Summer we tend to BBQ out with some meat and veggies...but it just didn't feel right for today:)

This meal is great...and sure to please all the males in your house!! Levi normally consumes anything resembling food, but he was done his first portion before Noah even started!! That's gotta stand for something?! It was a hit, nonetheless. The best part was I prepared and cooked the entire thing in under 30 minutes. The second best thing was that I had everything in my pantry or garden to make this dish:)

Feel free to omit or sub any of the veggies...or even chop them tiny so your kids won't notice them;)...a great way to use up surplus from your garden! I can see myself making double and triple batches of this one day for our growing boys and all their friends! One that note...this dish would also freeze well!

ps...I couldn't help but mention that this dish totally resembles Hamburger Helper...talk about a blast from the past...only it's about 150% better for you!!

One-Pot Macaroni with Garden Fresh Vegetables

1 lb lean ground beef (I used bison)
1 chopped onion
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 chopped red pepper
3 chopped carrots
1 tsp each oregano & basil...dried or fresh from the garden!
1/2 tsp salt & pepper
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups brown rice macaroni (roughly half the bag)

In large pot or pan saute ground meat over medium heat...cook until no longer pink.

Add everything except the tomatoes and macaroni...cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and 3 cups of water...bring to a boil...add macaroni.

Reduce heat and cover...simmer...stir occasionally...until pasta is al dente (a slight crunch).

Feel free to garnish with a sharp grated cheese (I would have if we had some in the fridge!!)...and fresh chopped basil:)

Enjoy!!

The Great Chili Cook-Off

Okay....so the cooler weather on Friday left Jay and myself in the mood for some chili! You see...Jay's great cooking skills peaked while we were dating, and then disappeared when we got married...I kinda am guilty for taking over the kitchen anyhow! But...he has always held onto the title of making apparently the best chili! I've made it many many times for us...always making lots for the freezer...and he always loves it...but he always reminds me that he makes the best chili! So...we went head to head yesterday....me with my lovely cream cast iron pot filled with yummy Fresh Vegetarian chili...and he with his large stainless steel pot filled with Bison 'Man' chili! Both pots smelled wonderful...in my head his looked disgusting...and in his head, mine looked like it was missing something....the RED MEAT!

Now for the recipes...hmmm...that's kinda a tricky one because we seriously just winged it and added whatever we felt like...but here's a list of what each pot contained....both worth making again! The best part...we have enough in our fridge for the rest of the weekend...and about 8 meals worth in our freezer!! I LOVE that!! (Clearly labeled "Jay's" and "Steph's"...of course!)

Either recipe could have ground turkey or ground beef added or substituted!


Steph's Vegetarian Chili



2 large onions, chopped
1 head of garlic, minced
4 carrots, chopped
3 red peppers, chopped
2 jalapenos, minced
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 bag of frozen corn
1 bunch of kale or spinach, finely chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 or 4 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons crushed chili peppers (more or less, depending on how you like it!)
2 tablespoons cumin

2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
half a bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice and flesh of 1 lime
1 bottle of Corona (optional....but SO worth it!!)

Alright...I think that is everything that made it into the pot! Throw everything in the first section into your large hot, that's already heated with a few dashes of olive oil. Let 'sweat' for a while until all veggies look semi cooked. Add the lime and Corona. Simmer out for a few minutes...add everything else! I think that's it!!




Jack Daniel's Jalapeno & Lime Chili (aka. Jay's Chili)



2 lbs ground xlean bison
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 head of garlic, cut into very large chunks
1/4 cup Jack Daniels (optional...but Jay would say it's essential!)


2 red peppers, coarsely chopped
1/2 bag of frozen corn
1 apple, chopped
4 jalapenos
4 tablespoons crushed chili peppers
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin
lots of lime juice


2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Simmer first section until the meat is cooked throughout. Add second section and let all vegetables cook. Add third section and let simmer until ready to eat! Enjoy with shredded cheese on top and your favourite tortilla chips for scooping! Jay enjoyed some of his leftovers today with cooked brown rice macaroni stirred in....nothing like a little Chili-Mac to warm you up!


Both of us likely would have added some chunks of fresh pineapple to ours, had we had some on hand!

ENJOY....we still are!!

Zucchini...3 Ways

Well this rainy Sunday afternoon left me finding three different great ways to use up that ginormous zucchini you saw back on Thursdays post!

Garden Vegetable Salsa (a.k.a Jen's Salsa) was the first use! A first time recipe for me...and the results found my family and I VERY satisfied!! The first picture is closer to the beginning of the process...don't you just love all the colours! The second picture is the finished product displayed lovely in my kitchen!






Figured I better attach this recipe...it's a keeper...thanks Jen!

Garden Vegetable Salsa

15 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups shredded onion
4 cups chopped red/green/orange peppers
7 Tbsp salt
2 cups vinegar
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro
2 Tbsp cumin
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp dried mustard
15 cups chopped tomatoes
4-10 jalapenos
3 cups corn (optional...but very tasty)

Combine the first 4 ingredients. Let set for 2 hours. Drain of liquid, rinse, drain again.
Combine all other ingredients. Boil 35-40 minutes. Pour into jars.

*Right before I added the jalapenos, I divided the salsa into two separate pots. We LOVE hot food, but not everyone else does, so I put only 3 jalapenos into the one pot (for when we have company and for when I give jars away), and about 8 jalapenos into the other pot.

Enjoy!! Your house will smell AMAZING!


The second use was delectable Chocolate Zucchini Muffins...one of those amazing recipes that you bake over and over. Normally I bake this same recipe in a bundt pan, which results in a fancy dessert for when company's coming! Today I decided, because of the abundance of the zucchini, to bake them into muffins to stock our freezer...always a good thing to have on hand!



Thought you might be interested in this recipe as well!!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 ½ cups spelt flour
½ cup cocoa
2 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon


½ cup melted butter or coconut oil
3/4 cup agave, maple syrup, cane sugar
3 eggs


2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups zucchini, coarsely grated
½ cup milk (I use almond milk)

1 cup dark chocolate chips (or nuts)

Combine all wet ingredients in the first section. Whip together the middle 3 ingredients, then add to the wet mixture...this won't mix together very well. Stir in the vanilla, zucchini and milk. Mix well. Stir in dark chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Start watching after 45 min.

*Baking as muffins usually takes 18-20 minutes.
*Be careful not to over-bake....they can easily dry out!


And the third and final use for zucchini today in the Wiebe house was to just simply freeze it, already shredded, premeasured, for future baking!