Vegetable Chowder

Saute in olive oil or butter:
1 c. chopped onion
2-3 stalks celery, chopped. Cover with a lid.

Add:
1 large potato, cut up
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. sliced carrots
2 c. chicken bouillon (2cubes + water)
1 tea. salt
1/2 tea. basil
1/4 tea. pepper
1 c. corn or 1 pkg. frozen Lima beans (opt.)
Sliced or chopped zucchini &/or summer squash (opt.)
Cook until vegetables are tender.
Then add:
1 can Great Northern beans, drained (or any other kind of bean).
Mix separately:
1 can evaporated milk
1-2 TB. flour
Add to soup. Heat through. Sprinkle with parsley flakes. Thin with milk if needed.
Opt. add 3/4 c. Pepper Jack cheese (or another kind) to taste.

Bell Pepper Casserole

2 large green bell peppers
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey breast
1-2 cloves minced garlic
2 c. cooked brown rice
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
mozzarella cheese
ketchup

Cook the rice according to the directions.

Remove the stems from the peppers and cut in half. Remove the seeds and cores. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the peppers and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and place on a cutting board to cool. Once cooled, cut the peppers into bite sized pieces.

Meanwhile, cook the meat and garlic, breaking the meat into small chunks.

In a bowl, mix the egg whites and rice. Add the cooked meat and a couple tablespoons of mozzarella cheese and mix. Add ketchup to make it a little saucier, about 1/8-1/4 c. (I just squirt it in until I get the consistency I like.)

Transfer to a baking dish and add the peppers. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until a light crust forms on the top and the cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings.

I adapted this recipe from the Bench Press Bell Peppers recipe in the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. We like it well enough that it is one of our new staples.

Grandma Cardon's V8 Juice

When Jordan and I were at Grandma's for lunch one day we had a little glass of V8 juice with our dinner. Neither of us are huge V8 fans but we drank it anyway... and LOVED it! It was great! So the next summer I called Grandma and got the recipe from her and this summer we finally made it... and LOVED it. I don't think she ever makes it exactly the same way but this is what she told me. Try it. You'll love it.

Make this in a soup kettle/pot.
Wash your tomatoes and take out the stem. Leave the rest of the tomato. It usually takes a couple dozen tomatoes.

In the bottom of the pot put:
1 stick of celery
a medium onion
garlic (sometimes)
a small carrot
parsley (small amount)
spinach (small amount)
1 jalapeno - no seeds & veins (Add this if you want a little kick. Leave the seeds & veins if you want smoke coming out your ears. :))

Fill the rest of the pot with tomatoes.

Cook until the tomatoes are soft. Blend well in a blender.

For each quart add:
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar.

Enjoy!

If bottling, process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

Broccoli-Carrot Stir-Fry

Sauce:
2/3 c. chicken or vegetable broth (we like beef)
2 TB balsamic vinegar (2 TB red wine or apple cider vinegar plus 1 tea sugar)
2 tea. cornstarch
Mix & set aside

1 tea. grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 c. thinly bias-sliced carrots (about 3 medium)
2 c. broccoli florets
2 TB chopped walnuts, toasted*

Pour about 1 TB oil into a wok or large skillet (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry ginger in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add carrots; stir-fry 1 minute. Add broccoli & stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Push vegetables from center of wok.

Stir sauce and add to middle of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir all ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook and stir about 1 minute more until heated through. Sprinkle with nuts.

You can add chicken to this if you would like. We accidentally forgot to add the walnuts one time and it just wasn't the same. They really add to it.

*To toast, spread the food in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so the food doesn't burn.

Herbed Tomato-Vegetable Soup

2 cups water
1 14-oz can tomatoes, cut up or 1 1/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped (2 cups)
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
1-2 potatoes
1 TB instant chicken bouillon granules
Dash of nutmeg (or mace if you have it)
Pinch of Italian Seasoning
Dash crushed Thyme

Stir in water, undrained tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, bouillon granules, and seasonings. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 40 minutes or till vegetables are tender. Makes 4 servings.

Clouds and Trees

Break broccoli and cauliflower into bite size chunks (if you really want to impress mom with the nutrition thing, cut up a few carrots too) and put them in a covered bowl in the microwave with about ½ inch of HOT water in the bottom until they are brightly colored and just cooked a little (crunchy, not soggy). Put some cheese on the top or put some ranch dressing on or some butter and salad supreme. They taste okay and you can tell your parents you are eating healthy!

Submitted by: Debbie

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken
1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup Bisquick
½ cup skim milk
1 egg

Heat oven to 400. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in ungreased 9” pie plate.
Stir remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.
Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. 6 servings
High altitude: heat oven to 425

Submitted by: Debbie

Mother’s Weekend Cabbage/Parsley Slaw

4 cups finely shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup chopped green onion – use the good part of the green stems
2-4 Tbs. good vegetable oil – enough to lightly coat.
Mix together and refrigerate overnight

Mix the dressing and toss before serving.

Dressing:
5 Tbs. White Sugar
6 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Tbs. Vegetable oil
½ tsp salt

Submitted by: Debbie

Lisa's Texas Tortilla Soup

From our favorite restaurant in Texas, Fuentes. This is enough to feed a family of 10. Don't forget to serve with store bought tortilla chips, and chunks of avocado and shredded cheese!

10 cups of chicken broth
3-5 chicken breasts, shredded, or in small pieces
Salt- to taste (2 or 3 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 Tbs minced garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
Onion-to taste (1 whole onion, or 2tsp onion powder)
Tomatoes (fresh or two cans of any tomato product)
1 package of taco seasoning (for less spicy, use less)
Add any vegetables you have in the fridge i.e. peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach

Simmer until it tastes good-15 minutes

Serve in bowls with tortilla chips on the top, sprinkled with grated cheese, cut-up avocado’s, and a dollop of sour cream.

Submitted by: Lisa

Barbecued Chicken Salad

Combine:
Lettuce greens--romaine, iceberg, spinach, etc.
Cilantro
Tomatoes
Black beans, drained & rinsed
Frozen corn, thawed
Green onions
Fried corn tortilla strips
Broiled or grilled chicken breasts

Dressing:
Ranch dressing and barbecue sauce @ 3:2 proportions

I serve everything in separate bowls and let people build their own salad.

Submitted by: Melinda

Quick, Easy, Appetizing

Cover sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with a good brand of Italian Dressing.
Let sit at least 10 minutes.

Submitted by: Vicki