Pumpkin Soup

Last year, for the first time, I cooked and canned our jack-o-lantern pumpkins.  It was a huge job to do three big pumpkins and I thought I'd never do it again...but all winter we've had delicious things made with this pumpkin and now I am sure I will.

Today I made pumpkin soup.  I'm eating meatless for awhile so this will also make a good meal for me on the nights I'm cooking meat for the rest of the family.  I didn't use heavy whipping cream but instead used evaporated milk.  This was from allrecipes but I made changes and am putting that recipe below.  

Ingredients

6 cups vegetable stock
3 teaspoons salt
4 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.
Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Artichoke Hearts and White Beans with Pasta

This was from this dairy free website.  I am not dairy free but the recipe fit with the beans and artichokes I wanted to use and I'm so glad I did!  Even when it was done I was worried we wouldn't like it but the only complaint came from Justin because he didn't like the artichokes but they were easily picked around :o)  I used dried beans and they were way softer than I'd wanted so with stirring they became mush...tasty mush though:)

Artichoke Hearts and White Beans with Pasta
Serves 4
1 tablespoon garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, with juice
1 can white beans
1 cup cooked pasta shells [use your favorite GF pasta for gluten-free]
Saute garlic and onion in deep skillet over medium heat for five minutes in
olive oil.
Add lemon juice, simmer for two minutes.
Add artichoke hearts with juice and simmer for another five minutes until
sauce is opaque.
Lower heat to medium low. Add white beans and cover skillet, allowing ten
minutes of cooking time. Add cooked pasta shells, mixing well. Serve with
red pepper flakes and [vegan "parmesan"] if desired.

Dump and Cook Lentil Soup

This was a very healthy dinner...was very much like a stew but with lentils instead of meat.  I don't know that I'd make it again but I love trying out different bean/lentil/pea recipes.
This came from the hillbilly housewife website and can be found here.

1  bag lentils rinsed
2 qts water
2 large potatoes..peeled and diced
3 stalks celery…sliced
1 large onion..peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic..minced
4-5 carrots…peeled and diced
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 ketchup..more or less to taste
salt&pepper to taste
1 T italian seasoning
2 bay leaves..optional

In a large pot put all ingredients EXCEPT ketchup. Bring to a boil, cover then lower to a simmering boil and cook for approx 1 hr..adding more water if needed, add ketchup( I prefer more) and adjust seasonings to your liking. Continue to cook on simmer until lentils are done. Remove bay leaves. The longer it cooks the better it tastes, even tastes better the next day

Meatless Monday

This was really good!  If you're not used to vegetarian meals or don't like them then I wouldn't try this but if you pay the price for vegetarian premade meals this is really good!  I didn't measure spices and am sure I added more of everything it called for and recommend doing the same.  I realize it looks like cat food but meatloaf never looks beautiful...I put ketchup on top for the fam and the boys even went back for seconds!

This came from Rhonda -frugal mommies group- on cafemom.


REALLY GOOD VEGETARIAN "MEAT"LOAF

2 cups water (I needed more than this)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup lentils

1 small onion, diced

1 cup quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, jack or american)

1 egg, beaten

4 1/2 ounces barbecue sauce or tomato sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Add salt to water and boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer covered 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of water is evaporated. Remove from heat. Drain and partially mash lentils. Scrape into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Stir in onion, oats and cheese until mixed. Add egg, tomato sauce, garlic, basil, parsley, seasoning salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon into loaf pan that has been generously sprayed with Pam (non-stick cooking spray) or well-greased. Smooth top with back of spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 30- 45 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm and golden brown. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of pan then turn out loaf onto serving platter.

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

For a vegetarian burger these were so good! I've tried a bunch of frozen ones and these blow them out of the water:)

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and
rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
3/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

**(After washing/draining beans let sit in the colander and after washing bell pepper and onion also let them sit awhile to drain completely so your burgers will stick together while grilling)**

If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.

In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6.
If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Tofu Chili

This was a pretty good recipe. I still don't love tofu but this was definitely better than anything else I've tried. I cubed the tofu instead of crumbling it but crumbling is better.

Ingredients:
1/2 (12 ounce) package extra firm tofu
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (15.25 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes,
undrained
1 quart water
Directions:
1.
In a medium bowl, crumble the tofu and toss with the chili powder and garlic.
2.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion and celery until tender. Stir in the tofu mixture. Continue cooking about 5 minutes over low heat.
3.
Mix in the beans and stewed tomatoes. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 50 minutes.

Lentils and Spinach

This started as a recipe on allrecipes and after reading the reviews I decided to do a few things differently. Served this over diced potatoes(Justin's went over rice). If you don't already like Mediterranean food I wouldn't recommend this:)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced into 1/2 rings
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup lentils
4 cups water

2 (10 ounce) packages fresh spinach
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed

sour cream

lemon juice

Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Saute onion for 10 minutes or so, until it begins to turn golden. Add minced garlic and saute for another minute or so.
Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer about 35 minutes, until lentils are soft ( this may take less time, depending on your water and the lentils).
Add spinach, tomatoes, salt and cumin to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until all is heated, about ten minutes. Grind in plenty of pepper and press in extra garlic to taste.

Right before serving put on a dollop of sour cream and some lemon juice.

Spring Rolls

These were so inexpensive and easy! Justin was on the counter "helping" so I cooked the cabbage a little longer than I would have liked and then I pulled them out of the oven just a bit before they were quite crispy enough...one way or another they were still really good:) I wish I could remember where I found this recipe!

1 bag of coleslaw shreds (or shred your own cabbage - 4 cups raw)

2 chicken bullion cubes, or 2 tsp bullion powder

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp olive oil

Soy sauce

Egg roll wrappers (I found them at Walmart near the bagged salad for about $2.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute the cabbage, bullion and ginger in olive oil on high heat, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the cabbage is wilted but not mush. Add a couple splashes of soy sauce (remember both the bullion and soy sauce are salty, so you may want to taste.)

Lay a wrapper on the counter with a corner facing you. Put a couple tablespoons of the cabbage mixture 2 inches from that corner and fold the corner over it. Fold the side corners in and roll down to the farthest corner. (I guess you could also roll them like a baby burrito, if that makes you happier.) Place seam side down on an ungreased cookie sheet, or pizza pan, etc. Repeat for all 12 wrappers. Spray the rolls with olive oil or Pam (for browning.) Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. They will be very hot when they come out, so it's a good idea to let them rest a few minutes.

Crock barley, bean and corn burrito filling

I needed something to throw in the crockpot since the kids had classes downtown and I never know when we'll get back from those. This is also a meatless recipe. Hubby and I really liked this and the kids ate it without complaining. It definitely needed salt and I only liked them with cheese and sour cream.

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 cup barley, uncooked
2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions
1Place all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well. Cover, and cook on low setting 4-5 hours.
2Serve with tortillas, cheese, cilantro, lettuce, salsa, sour cream--your favorite toppings

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna

I really liked this...the kids ate it and said it was good(although not great). I can't decide if I'd like it even more with the sauce portion doubled...it just didn't seem like as much sauce as a lasagna should have. I probably used a lot more than 3 cups of cheese too:)

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
1 package frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed)
1 jar Alfredo sauce
3 C mozzarella cheese, divided

Cook lasagna noodles according to package. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add Alfredo sauce, spinach and artichokes and heat through. Spread ¼ of the sauce on the bottom of greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with 3 noodles and ¾ C cheese. Repeat with 2 remaining layers. Bake covered at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake until cheese starts to brown. Let set 5 minutes before cutting.

Pesto Pizza

This was soooo yummy! I chose this for our meatless night this week. I didn't make the pesto like this has directions to do--instead I used a jar of pesto from the store. And I used our pizza oven instead of the regular oven.
Also I tried a new crust that I got off of Mandi's blog here and we LOVED it. Going to start using it now as our regular crust! (recipe also below)

Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
1 cup prepared pesto sauce (ingredients and directions included)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
pesto sauce
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (need a big bunch of parsley)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pine nuts
Directions
1
Place the following in blender: parsley, grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves (use garlic press)and blend until smooth.
2
PREHEAT OVEN 425F DEGREES.
3
Spread the Pesto Sauce on a 12 or 14 inch pizza crust.
4
Place spinach on pesto sauce.
5
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over pizza, then sprinkle the sharp cheddar cheese.
6
Top with sliced tomatoes, then sprinkle the feta cheese all over the pizza.
7
Bake about 15 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese are melted, and the crust is crisp and golden.

Breadmaker crust
1 cup water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. yeast

After the dough has risen in the machine, grease a 14" pizza pan or baking pan. Stretch the dough to fit. Spread your favorite sauce, sprinkle on grated mozzarella (and Cheddar if you like), add toppings, and bake at 450 for 15 - 20 minutes.

Stuffed Shells

This was soooo good! I used more spaghetti sauce than it called for but it definitely still could have had more...a whole jar at the very least but we like our Italian food with lotsa sauce:) I'll make this again for sure.

Ingredients

12 ounces jumbo pasta shells

1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (Reserve 1/4 cup)

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 lbs ricotta cheese

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley

8 ounces spaghetti sauce (jarred or homemade)

fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

Directions1In an 8 quart pot, bring water to a boil and cook shells for 8 minutes or until al dente. 2Drain and cool immediately with cold water.

3Drain and place open side down on paper towels.

4In a medium bowl, combine the rest of ingredients except the spaghetti sauce.

5Reserve the 1/4 cup of Mozzarella.

6Place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 12 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.

7Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

8Spoon the cheese mixture into each pasta shell and place open side up, in a single layer, in prepared pan.

9Pour the rest of sauce over the stuffed shells.

10Loosely cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

11During last 5 minutes of baking, remove foil and sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top. 12Bake 5 more minutes.

13Garnish with fresh chopped basil.

California Quesadillas

I got this recipe off recipezaar. They were pretty good! Hearty enough to not need meat for us:) Hunter ate his but I don't think he was particularly thrilled...he would have much rathered cheese I think.

I made them in an electric skillet rather than the oven.

Recipe #195455

SERVES 6
2 1/2 cups monterey jack chees, shredded
6 1/2 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/3 cup black olives, chopped
2/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
12 soft taco-size flour tortillas
3 tablespoons butter, melted
In a large bowl combine cheese, artichokes, olives, salsa and cilantro.
Brush one side of the tortilla with the melted butter and place butter side down on a cookie sheet.
Top with 1/6th of the cheese mixture. Top with another tortilla and brush with butter.
Repeat until all tortillas and cheese mixture is gone. You should have six quesadillas.
Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees or until lightly brown. Watch them carefully.
Cool 5 minutes then cut into wedges.
Serve with additional salsa, sour cream, etc.
You can also add grilled chopped chicken to the cheese mixture for a heartier quesadilla.

Veggie Lasagna

Shar made this and we had to try it. You can see hers here and her pictures are wonderful:) We loved this but I wish I hadn't run out of mozzarella. I had to use just a little more than the recipe called for and I always add looooots more to my lasagna lol

INGREDIENTS
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups diced zucchini
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions (or use ready oven noodles)
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes.
Add the zucchini, mushrooms, carrots and peppers; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove 2 cups sauce and set aside.Drain noodles; set aside. Combine the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and the cheddar cheese. In an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish, layer a third of the remaining sauce, four noodles and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce and noodles. Spread reserved sauce over top.Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Three Cheese Mostaccioli Bolognese

This recipe was my choice for Tee's week. I've been on a pasta kick so this was perfect. I wish it called for more zucchini because that was my favorite part! The whole family enjoyed this meal. I served it with garlic toast and edamame.

I also learned that zucchini is the swollen ovary of the zucchini plant. I do believe I could have gone without knowing that...so I decided to share.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce or 1 jar (1 lb. 9 oz.) Prego® Organic Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

1 pkg. (16 oz.) mostaccioli or tube-shaped pasta (ziti) pasta, cooked and drained

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook beef and garlic in 12" skillet until beef is browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat. Add zucchini and cook until tender. Stir in sauce.
Stir beef mixture, pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese in 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 400°F. for 20 min. or until hot.

Greek Pasta Salad

Kris' week we picked greek pasta salad. Hunter doesn't like uncooked mushrooms so that is why he gave it such a low rating.

Ratings:

Sabrina-8

Hunter-2

Corrine-7

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
8 ounces rotini pasta
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cups sliced mushrooms
15 halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4 ounce) can chopped black olives
Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Mix together cooked pasta, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, basil, oregano, mushrooms, tomatoes, Feta cheese, green onions and olives. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, serve cold.