Hearty Squash Soup     

 Ingredients:                                                                                                               
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean  ground beef
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 large chopped yellow onion
1 can (28 ounces) no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
1- med. sized peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon salt                                                                                                                                   
1 teaspoon dried  Greek oregano
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 med. sized cubed zucchini`s with the peeling left on
1 med. sized cubed yellow Zucchini with the  peeling left on
               


Directions:
In a stock pot, heat olive over medium-high heat. Add beef, red pepper and onion; cook, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes; drain.
Add the next eight ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes; add  the cubed zucchini. Cover and continue simmering until vegetables are tender, another 20-25 minutes.

This  soup also freezes well.

Classic Hamburger Vegetable Soup

Makes 8 quarts.

This amazing yummy soup recipe was given to me years ago from a sweet lady in Kentucky!

Ingredients:
1 -  pound ground beef
1 - large yellow  onion  diced
1/2 -  head of  cabbage roughly chopped
2 - 28 oz. cans of diced potatoes drained
2 -  15 oz. cans sweet corn drained
2 - 14.5 oz. cans cut green beans drained
2 - 12 oz. bags  frozen peas and carrots
1 - 64 fl. oz. tomato juice
64 fl. oz. water
1/3 -  cup chopped  parsley
olive  Oil
salt and  pepper to taste

Directions:

In a 10 qt. stock  pot, over med. heat,  drizzle a teaspoon  of olive  oil in the pan and add the ground beef  crumbled up, when the meat is about halfway cooked, turn  the heat up a little and add the diced onion. Stirring  often till the meat is browned and the onions are soft. While this  is cooking be  opening the can  vegetables and drain off the water. 

Next add all of the canned vegetables and the frozen ones, all of the tomato juice, parsley, salt and pepper and start stirring and turn the heat up to high.  When mixed add the water, I  use the empty tomato juice can or bottle to fill up with water, then  add the cabbage and stir, Once this comes to a boil, turn  down to simmer  put a lid on cook for about  2 hours. After 2 hours do a taste to see if  it needs more salt and pepper, Cook longer if needed, when the cabbage in the soup is soft it is done.  Vegetable  soup is  always better the next day!

To Freeze:
When soup is completely cold, ladle it into freezer containers and it is  ready for the freezer. When your  ready to eat it, just  thaw  it out and dump into a  sauce pan and heat slowly on med./low  heat and serve.

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken chill served  with a  Havarti   Cheese Spinach  Panini

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 large 2 onion, chopped
1 pound  ground chicken
1 tsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground cumin
1 cup water
1 Tbs. dried oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
3 Tbs. flour
1 - 15 oz. can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh chopped baby  spinach
1 1/2 C frozen  corn
1 -15 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

 Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add ground chicken, 1 tsp. salt, cumin, oregano, and chili powder.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Stir the flour into the chicken mixture.  Add the beans, spinach, corn and chicken stock.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping  the  bottom of the pan often with a wooden spoon,  add more oil if needed.  Simmer roughly 30 minutes on low.  Add red pepper flakes and simmer.  Ladle in bowls and top  with  mozzarella cheese.

Havarti cheese and Spinach Panini.

 In a  med  skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add 2 cups of  fresh  baby spinach  and saute, just as the spinach starts to wilt take it off the heat.  If you have a Panini press get it hot and place a good whole grain bread on it , add the spinach and place 2- 3  to slices of Havarti cheese on the spinach and another slice of bread on top  and close the machine and  let it toast. If you  dont have a Panini press, you make just as you would a grilled cheese on the stove top.

Basic Chili

1 - pd. ground beef

1 - chopped yellow onion

3 - 16 oz.  light red kidney beans rinsed and drained

1 - 4 oz. can of tomato paste

1 - 16 oz of diced tomatoes

2 - heaping tablespoons of chili powder

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

In a large pot  put the ground beef and the chopped onion and cook until  meat is brown and add the chill powder, stir well. Then add the tomatoes ( do not drain the tomatoes)  red pepper flakes and the beans. Add about 3 cans of water and then add the tomato paste stir until tomato paste is mixed in well. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer, put a lid on and simmer for about 30 min.

*notes
- If the chili is too thick for your taste add more water a little at a time
- If you would like  your chili to be more spicy add more chili powder a little at  time, because you can get too much.
-  Most people use tomato sauce, I prefer tomato paste because it makes the chili sweet and thick
- Always rinse and drain canned beans, it removes, fat, salt and gas : )