Hearty Minestrone Soup

Autumn means cooler temperatures, the garden starting to wind down on production, and hearty meals to warm the tummy and the soul.  A hot bowl of soup is just the thing on a cool evening.  And with just a few items from the garden, you can quickly prepare a large pot of minestrone soup to feed the whole family.  And I'll show you how to make this soup with meat, or vegetarian.

You will need:
1 large, (or 2 medium) carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cups trimmed green beans, (fresh or canned)
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup red or green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup zucchini, chopped
1 teas. dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 teas. garlic powder
2 Tabs. olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
28 ounce can tomatoes
1 14 ounce can beans, (canneillini or kidney)
1 cup elbow pasta
Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, over medium heat, add the oil.
Add the chopped onions, celery, and pepper.  Cook until the onion is softened, (about 4 or 5 minutes).

Note: If you want a meat version of minestrone, now is the time to add ground meat, (hamburger, turkey, venison, your choice).

Make sure to season with salt and pepper well, (about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper - to taste).

Once the onion is softened, add the chopped carrots, zucchini, and oregano.  Cook for another 5 minutes, (to start the carrots cooking).

Add the green beans.

Add tomatoes, I like to break up most of my tomatoes, as I add them to the soup.

Add chicken broth.  Make sure to taste, and if needed season again with salt and pepper.

Note: If you want a vegetarian version, you can use vegetable broth.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the pasta.

 Drain and rinse the beans and add to the soup.  Stir well.

Today I only had chickpeas, so I used them, (any bean will work).

Return the heat to medium, and cook for another 10 minutes, until the pasta is done.

And you have soup.

Top with a generous portion of grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Tonight we are have minestrone soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, (on homemade rosemary and Parmesan bread).  YUMMY.

So for just a few ingredients and a little time, you can have a large pot of soup, and feed a crowd.

Enjoy !

Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Pork Loin Roast with Vegetables

Over the years, I've learned to watch the sales cycles that our local stores run.  Usually every 4 months they cycle items,  (chicken 1st month, beef 2nd month, fish 3rd month, pork 4th month, chicken 5th month, beef 6th month, and etc.).  Last week the local store was running a special on boneless pork loin, 99 cents per pound.  I found a 8.6 pound bag, marked down from $32.59 to $8.51.  And, I had a $2 store coupon on meat purchase.  SCORE ! A total savings of $26.08.  When I opened the bag, there were 6 beautiful pork loins.  I individually wrapped and vacuumed sealed and froze them, so we can enjoy them later.  Wish I would have purchased 2 bags.

Anyway, the other night, I made a brown sugar and honey glazed pork loin roast with vegetables.  It was so good.  A nice 2 pound roast will easily feed 4, (even 6 if you add enough vegetables).  Since the vegetables were from our garden, a very inexpensive meal.  Let me show you how I did it.

You will need:
2 pound pork loin roast
4 Tabs. brown sugar
2 Tabs. honey
2 Tabs. vegetable oil
2 pounds carrots
2 pounds potatoes
2 or 3 apples
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil, (this is for easy clean up).

Clean and chop carrots and potatoes. 

Note:  Yes those are white carrots you see.  This year we planted multi-colored carrots, so we have orange, white, and red carrots.

Place the carrots on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.  Mix well to coat all the vegetables.

In a small bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon of oil, brown sugar,  honey, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.  Stir together.  Glaze will be thick.

Make sure your pork roast has any excess fat removed.

Coat the roast with the brown sugar glaze.

Place the roast in the center of the vegetables.

Clean, core, and quarter the apples, and place around the roast.

Bake in the 375 degree oven for about 40 to 50 minutes, (until the internal temperature reads 150 degrees at center of roast).

Remove from oven.  Remove roast.  If the vegetables still need a few minutes, place them back in the oven.  Mine were done within the 50 minutes.

Allow the roast to rest for 5 minutes, before slicing.

Notice how nicely browned this roast is on the inside, with less than 1 hour.  And it's very moist.  And the glaze on the outside is delicious.

If you have a larger crowd to feed, you can cook a larger roast, and increase the ingredients, or just add more vegetables.  People don't mind a small amount of meat, as long as they have plenty of vegetables on their plate.

Give this recipe a try, and your family will enjoy the new way of cooking pork roast.


Enjoy !

Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole

The garden is starting to produce this year, and one of those items coming out of the garden is peppers.  We love jalapeno poppers at our house, especially when done outside on the grill.  But, how about if you did the ingredients in a casserole, and added chicken.  Then you have a complete main dish.  Let me show you how I do it.

You will need:
2 pounds chicken boneless, skinless chicken breast, (or tenderloins)
garlic powder
salt  and pepper
onion powder
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
jalapeno peppers
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled crispy bacon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a rectangle casserole dish with baking spray.

First, fry the bacon and allow to drain on a paper towel.
Crumble the bacon in bite sized pieces.  Set aside, this will go on top at the end.

Wash, remove the seeds, and slice the jalapeno peppers.
You will need at least 2, and can use as many as your family likes.  If you want the casserole with a little more heat, you can leave in a few seeds.  I like my poppers on the mild side, so I remove all the seeds and the membrane, (this is what holds the seed pocket in place inside the pepper).

Lay the chicken in a casserole dish along the bottom.  Today, I happen to have tenderloins on hand, so that is what I am using.  If you are using chicken breast, you will want to slice them in half or even chunks, to make them even for better baking.  You could even use skinless, boneless thighs.

Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder - to taste.

Spread the softened cream cheese over the chicken.

Layer the jalapeno peppers over the casserole.

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top.

You can use sharp cheddar cheese, or medium cheddar cheese - your choice.  I have even made this with a Mexican blend cheese.

Bake in the 375 degree preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, add the bacon, and return for 5 more minutes.

I test the temperature of the chicken to make sure it registers 165 degrees.

Your casserole is now ready to serve.

WOW is this ever good.  You get the moist seasoned chicken, the cream cheese cools any heat from the peppers, and of course cheese and bacon together make anything better.  This casserole doesn't last long around our house.

So next shopping trip, buy a few peppers and give this casserole a try.

Enjoy !

Chicken and Spaghetti Casserole

If you've tried my husband's recipe for Spaghetti Casserole, (crock pot style), you know how good it is, and how it can feed a crowd.  I decided to try to freshen it up and also cut down the portion size, (so it was more family-size).  Here is my version.

You will need:
4 to 6 ounces of spaghetti
1 Tab butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheese blend

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with nonstick spray

Chop your chicken, peppers, mushroom, celery, and onion.

Start your spaghetti cooking in a salted water.  Cook the spaghetti until it is al' dente.  Drain and set aside.

You can use whatever kind of spaghetti you want, I like to use the thin spaghetti.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the peppers, onions, celery, and mushrooms.  Cook until the vegetables have softened, (about 4 or 5 minutes). Remember to salt and pepper your vegetables to taste, (I use about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper).

In a medium bowl, combine the soup and milk.  Stir until smooth.

Add in almost 3/4 of the cheese, (I save about a handful for the top).  Stir in the cheese until combined.

You can use whatever kind of blended cheese you like.  You can even use just cheddar.  I like to use a Monterey Jack cheese blend.

 Pour the cheese and soup mixture over the cooked vegetables..  Continue to cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth and starts to thicken.

Add in the chicken and stir until combined throughout.

Make sure to taste the sauce for seasoning.  Does it need a little more salt or pepper?  If so stir a little more in.

Stir in the spaghetti.  Make sure to combine it in well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.   You can also use any type of casserole dish, (as long as it will hold about 2 quarts.  Sometimes I bake this in a round or oval casserole dish).

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Bake for about 35 minutes, (or until the casserole is hot, bubbly, and golden brown).

 Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

And you have my version of chicken and spaghetti casserole.  A complete meal, just add a green salad.  I smells wonderful, it's filling, and it tastes wonderful with the fresh vegetables.  It's a great way to use up leftover chicken.  And of course cheese makes everything taste great.

Moist Tender Pork Loin Roast Dinner

This is a delicious and super tender pork roast dinner, and the best part is it's all done in ONE pot.  You almost don't need a knife to cut the meat.  It easily feeds 6 people with only a 2 or 2 1/2 pound pork loin roast.  You don't need to make the gravy, but I've included the gravy recipe, just in case you want to make it.  It's so easy.

You will need:
A 2 pound, (or 2 1/2 pound) pork loin roast
1 small onion
1 1/2 Tabs Italian seasoning
1/4 teas crushed red pepper flakes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces beef broth)
1/8 teas ground black pepper
2 teas salt
1 bay leaf
1 pound baby carrots
6 to 8 small potatoes
1 Tabs water
4 teas. cornstarch

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Slice the onion, very thin
Wash and quarter the potatoes, (I like to use red potatoes, but you can use whatever you have on hand). 
In a small bowl mix together the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and salt.

Note:  If you want to stretch the meal to feed more people, just add a few more potatoes

Using a paper towel, dry off the pork loin.  Cut about 6 horizontal cuts down the center of the roast, and stuff each one with a slice of onion.  Reserve the rest for the pot.

 Place the roast in a dutch oven, and sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the roast.

Pour the beef broth around the roast.

I am using my homemade beef broth, but you can use store bought.

Place the remaining onions slices, the pound of baby carrots, the quartered potatoes, and the bay leaf around and over the roast.

Place the cover tightly on the dutch oven, and bake for about 2 1/2 hours.













Once the vegetables are tender, remove the meat and vegetables and meat to a serving platter.  Cover with foil to keep warm while you are making the gravy.

We like lots of carrots so we always use the full one pound of baby carrots, when we prepare this roast.

Now, it is time to make the thickening agent for the gravy.

In a small bowl, mix the water and the cornstarch, and blend until smooth.  Remove the meat and the vegetables to a serving platter.

 Bring the pan drippings back to a boil over medium heat, and reduce down to half, (about 10 to 12 minutes).  Add the cornstarch thicker, and blend in until smooth and the gravy begins to thicken, (about another 5 minutes).  Remove from heat and serve over meat.

And dinner is ready, without a lot of fuss.  Add a green salad and you have a complete balanced meal.  So yummy, and this will fill any tummy.

The key to stretching a little meat, it to add lots of vegetables with them.  Try this delicious pork loin recipe.