Pierogi and Squash Soup

Pierogi and Squash Soup
Serves 4

I saw this recipe in my Food Network magazine and I was super excited to make it. I love pierogies. I love tomato-y soups. Perfect! But then I forgot a few of the ingredients and had to change some of the recipe. So this is an inspired-by recipe from the Food Network. It was so good and those Progresso Recipe Starters are seriously delicious and helpful!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 Knorr Vegetable
• 1 can Progresso Recipe Starters Fire Roasted Tomato
• 48 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups shredded coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
• Half of a fresh butternut squash cut up into cubes (about 2-3 cups)
• 8-12 frozen cheddar and potato pierogies
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pot, cook the onions, garlic, and sausage with olive oil on high.
2. When the meat is cooked through, add the cabbage to soften it a bit.
3. Add in the squash, chicken broth, and the Progresso Recipe Starter. Cover, and cook on high until the squash is almost cooked through.
4. Add in the pierogies and cook uncovered until heated through. They will rise to the top of the pot.
5. Salt and Pepper to taste at any time through cooking. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Ham and Corn Chowder

Cheesy Ham and Corn Chowder
Serves 4 (as a meal)

Once again, Ray has found a recipe that has been quite delicious. This was a recipe he had saved from a long time ago when he wanted to start cooking meals and when he looked it up again, he realized it came from Hormel! The soup, though, was definitely a treat when I arrived home after struggling through snow just to get home. It wasn't completely what I thought, but it was delicious. Chowders are a creamy broth with whole food chunks. I had thought it was going to be a creamy corn soup with ham. I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't what I expected. A must cook again treat! Leftovers were also very delicious!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon light olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups water
• 2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• 4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded Colby cheese
• 2 cups Farmland diced ham
• 1 4oz jar of Dromedary Pimentos
• Sliced green onions (garnish)
• 1 TBSP poultry seasoning (sage)

Instructions

1. In large saucepan, cook onion in oil, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in flour until smooth. Keep stirring, making sure it does not burn.
3. Stir in water, bouillon, potatoes, seasoning and pepper.
4. Cover saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in milk, corn, cheese, ham and roasted peppers. Cook 8 to 10 minutes longer or until heated thoroughly.
6. Once broth is to a preferred consistency and potatoes are cooked, serve and garnish with sliced green onions.

Spicy Sausage, Cheese Tortellini, and Vegetable Soup

Spicy Sausage, Cheese Tortellini, and Vegetable Soup
Serving: 8-10

Ingredients

• 2 cans Del Monte Diced Tomatoes (Basil, Garlic & Oregano)
• 26 oz Swanson's Cooking Stock - Beef
• 1 lb spicy hot or medium Italian Sausage (de-case the sausages if ground is not available)
• 18 oz Progresso Recipe Starter - Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1 TBSP Minced Garlic
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 2 large carrots (peeled and cut 2-3mm wide)
• 2 medium zucchini (middle cut out, peeled, and cut into 2-3in fourths)
• 1 cup quartered baby button mushrooms
• 2 cups water
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 9 oz Bella Luna "fresh" cheese tortellini (for frozen, put them in with the zuchinni and reduce the water by 1/2 a cup)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage in a large pot. Drain off the grease and set the meat aside (on a paper towel to catch the excess grease).
2. Sweat the onions, carrots, and garlic. The onions should be slightly translucent, but still have crunch.
3. Add the sausage back into the pot. Then add in the beef stock, diced tomatoes, water, tomato sauce,  Progresso's Fire Roasted Tomatoes, bay leaf, and 1 TBSP pepper and 1 TBSP salt. 
4. Cover and turn on high to bring to a boil. Let boil for 15 minutes.
5. Turn the stove to medium or medium-low until you get a low simmer. Add in the baby button mushrooms and zucchini.
6. Let cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the zucchini is starting to become soft.
7. Add in the tortellini and continue cooking at medium of a low boil until the tortellini are cooked to your preferred level of doneness. 
8. Add in the Parmesan cheese. Let simmer for 5 more minutes.
9. Serve with garlic bread on the side. Additional Parmesan also adds a nice touch.

Tortilla Chicken Soup

Tortilla Chicken Soup

Serves 8

A fresh soup with a good deal of flavor. Tastes great with tortilla chips and doesn’t weigh you down. Delish!

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breasts
• 2 32oz cartons chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 medium onions (halved and thinly sliced)
• 1 TBSP paprika
• 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 TBSP fresh ground pepper
• 1 TBSP ground sea salt
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 2 14.5 oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 15 oz cans Black Beans (preferred brand, rinsed)
• 2 TBSP Mrs. Renfro’s Jalapeno Green Salsa (Hot)
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• Tortilla chips (garnish, Multi-Grain recommended)
• Guacamole (garnish)
• Jalapenos (garnish)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, combine thinly sliced onions, garlic, and 1 cup chicken broth. Let come to a boil.
2. Rinse off chicken breasts and put them in the pot with the broth. Cover with more broth. Add in the cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika. Let come to a boil.
3. Once chicken is cooked through, take out and shred. Then return it to the pot. Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse Black Beans. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes (with liquid) and the diced green chilies, as well as the Mrs. Renfro’s Green Salsa. Continue to let simmer until the black beans are cooked to your preferred taste (10-15 minutes).
5. Serve soup with slices of jarred jalapenos, a dollop of guacamole, and/or tortilla chips. Other suggestions have been slices of avocado or pour the soup over a thin layer of Spanish rice. 

Tomato, Basil, and Orzo Soup

Tomato, Basil, and Orzo Soup
Serves: About 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes - Basil, Garlic & Oregano
• 1 can Roundy's Diced Tomatoes - With Onion, Celery and Green Peppers
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 2 cups Vegetable Stock
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves chopped
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 4 TBSP Tomato Paste
• 4 TBSP Light Daisy Sour Cream
• shredded Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Follow the directions on the box and cook the Orzo to your desired tenderness. Put aside to mix it at the end.
2. Sweat down the onions and garlic with the olive oil until translucent.
3. Add in the 2 cans of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock and seasoning.
4. Cook at medium until heated through and taste to make sure its seasoned well.
5. Then add in your chopped basil. Cook for 5 more minutes on medium so that the basil flavors combine.
6. Get out your hand blender (or use a blend or food processor) and blend the soup until smooth.
7. Add in the sour cream and blend a little more until combined.
8. Combine the Orzo with the soup on the stove top and heat through at low-medium heat until completely warm.
9. Serve with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Note: Great with a Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil grilled cheese/panini!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup
Serves 6-8

Inspired by a recipe from Rachael Ray's website for Creamy Enchilada Soup, but I made some of my own changes. I've made this before and was trying to channel what I did that time to really infuse good flavor.

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken breast sliced in long thin pieces (or shredded chicken if you have it)
• 1 yellow onion sliced thin in halves
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1 TBSP Sea Salt
• 1 cup Mrs. Renfro's Jalapeno Green Salsa Hot (or preferred green salsa, such as Salsa Verde)
• 4 cups crushed tortilla chips (save some for garnish)
• 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese (save some for garnish)
• 1 cup of shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
• Sour Cream (for garnish)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, sweat down the onions and garlic with a small splash of Olive Oil.
2. While they sweat, cut the chicken up and season with half of the Montreal Steak Seasoning.
3. Put the chicken in with the onions and garlic until they brown.
4. Add the can of green chilies and cook for about a minute, incorporating into the mixture.
5. Then add the 6 cups of chicken broth and add the sea salt and the last TBSP of Montreal Steak Seasoning.
6. Let cook on medium for about 8 minutes.
7. Add the Salsa and let cook for another 8-10 minutes. Check the chicken to make sure its the consistency that you want. If the pieces are too big, take some out and shred them yourself with a knife.
8. After 10 minutes, add the cheese to the pot and stir until incorporated.
9. Once the cheese is incorporated, add the tortilla chips. Then let simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, until a consistency that you prefer. If you think it is too thick, add a little more chicken broth or water.
10. Serve in bowls with extra cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream as garnish.

Note: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Punchy Pork Chilli (Sainsbury's Experiment Night 9)

Because Ray was working late tonight, I decided to switch to the Punchy Pork Chili over the Meatball Casserole. I know Chilli reheats alright, so that I could eat at a normal time and not 10:30-11PM at night!!!

Punchy Pork Chilli
Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 x 475g British Freedom Food endorsed pork mince.
1 Lime
1 Onion
1 x 500g pack Easy cook rice
1 x 390g Carton chopped tomatoes
1 x 420g tin basics red kidney beans
1 tsp Hot chilli powder

1 TBSP ground cumin

1 chopped garlic clove or 1/2 tsp minced garlic (if you like garlic, I suggest adding 1 TBSP)

250ml Vegetable or Beef Stock (8 fl oz, a little over a cup.. I think a cup would work out just fine)

Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan.
2. Add 1 peeled and chopped onion and 1 peeled and chopped clove garlic and cook until softened. 3. Add 1 x 475g pack pork mince and 1 teaspoon hot chilli powder and cook for 5 minutes, until light brown.
4. Add 1 x 420g tin basics red kidney beans, drained, and 1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes
5. Reduce the heat and add 250ml vegetable or beef stock, made with 1 stock cube. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat, then squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and stir.
7. Meanwhile, cook 200g rice following pack instructions.
8. Serve with the chilli, sprinkled with grated Cheddar or sour cream.

First, I would just like to point out the gimmick of these cheap recipes. TONS OF NOODLES/RICE!!! What my friend hates to call "CARBS"!!! That drives me INSANE!!! It really makes you feel horrible, because you don't feel like you're getting enough vegetables and other healthy things. Its just lots of grains and starches.

With that realization made, I'd like to say this was okay for a quick chili. I was shocked to see that there was no Cumin in the recipe!!! I added it, because you can't make chilli without Cumin! And, in the end, it was pretty good. Doesn't make much, unless you want some chilli with your rice (instead of some rice with your chilli). I'd double the recipe for more than 3 people. There also isn't alot of sauce with the recipe, so if you like a more saucy, thick chilli, this is not the chilli for you. You can eat it without rice, too. You can use noodles if you prefer. But it was delicious on its own and you won't feel all stodgy from the starches.

And as a final note, I don't know why it's "punchy". There is hardly any heat, so add more spice if you want some REALLY punchy chilli or add some chillis.

Sainsbury's Experiment Night 1

Night one of the experiment will be the Thai burgers and since it was just the burgers, we decided to add a soup. Our Damhead order came this afternoon, so we decided to make a parsnip and leek soup. I'm not really sure how the two will go together, but I'm thinking the playful flavors of the two will pair well.

Thai burgers (would cook again)
Per Serving: 376kcal, 41.3g protein, 11.4g fat, of which 2.8g saturated fat, 28.9g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 1.6g fiber and 1.2g salt

Ingredients
500g Turkey mince
1 bunch Spring onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp Thai green or red curry paste (we used green)
½ x 25g pack Coriander, chopped
a little Sunflower oil, for frying
4 Crusty white round rolls
½ Round lettuce



Method
In a bowl, mix the turkey mince, spring onions, curry paste and coriander together until well combined.
Season and shape into 4 burgers, about 2cm thick.

Heat a little oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and cook the burgers over a medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Halve the rolls and fill with lettuce leaves and a burger.

Note: We used an ale whole grain mustard, as well as ketchup and fresh tomatoes, which worked wonderfully with the burger.



Recipe for Parsnip and leek soup
3 parsnips
2 large leeks
Knob of butter
Olive oil
500ml vegetable stock
Bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic
250ml milk
4 tbsps crème fraiche

Heat a dash of olive oil and the knob of butter in a large, lidded, heavy-bottomed pan. Wash the leeks and slice thinly then add to the pan when the fat starts to bubble. Stir thoroughly until the leeks are covered and then cook on a medium heat until the leeks are soft and translucent, then crush and add the garlic and cook for five more minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and slice the parsnips, then add to the leeks and garlic, stir to combine well, then cover and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

After 10 minutes the parsnips should be soft. Turn the heat up a little and add the stock and bay leaf, plus salt and pepper, then cover and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes, until it has a soft and mushy consistency. Remove the bay leaf, then add the milk, stir to combine then remove from the heat. Then blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth, return to the heat, and finally, add the creme fraiche for a special creamy finish.

Serve immediately with crusty bread and a bit of grated cheddar. The soup can also be frozen in separate portions. It can be reheated in the microwave, but it’s best heated up in a pan with a little milk.


Note: Next time I would rather cook the parsnips, garlic, bay leaf and leeks in the vegetable stock until tender. Then strain the stock and put the vegetables (minus bay leaf) into a food processor and slowly add back in the stock, which would mean adding a bit more stock than this recipe calls for, since some will boil off when cooking. Then after getting a good texture, but not too thin, add back to the pot and add the milk or double cream. We did not use creme fraische.


Overall, Sainsbury's Experiment Night 1 was a great experience and everything is off to a great start. That is not to say that there won't be some not-super recipes, but at least tonight makes me hopeful.

My Sainsbury's Experiment

I did something crazy today, which was simply on a whim, but I was so taken by the idea, that I couldn't help myself. I was trying to purchase something on Sainsburys.com, but I didn't spend £40, so it wouldn't let me order it. So I was bouncing through recipes (those Fiver recipes that Sainsburys boasts about) and I found some great ideas. And as I looked at them, I noticed you could order the groceries online. You could hit the "order ingredients" and it would take you to a page where you could order all of the ingredients! I was blown away. I ended up picking 6 meals and ordering the ingredients. Some even shared similar ingredients, which allowed me to only purchase some items once. I did notice that sometimes some items weren't listed and I had to hunt them down and add them myself, but that's okay.

So when I did the math, minus the 4 silly cheap items I bought and the £3.50 delivery fee, £42.50 for 6 meals. That's £7 a meal, most of which will have leftovers for the following day (don't do the conversion, because its not applicable to you if you aren't paying according to the living standards of here)! I think that's absolutely brilliant! So here are the recipes from Sainsbury's that I'll be trying:

Chorizo and pasta hot pot
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
100g pack Spanish chorizo
2onions
390g carton chopped tomatoes
250g pack conchigliette
400gWhite farmhouse loaf

Method
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or saucepan and add 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped. Add 1 x 100g pack Spanish chorizo, with each slice halved, and fry until crispy.
Add 1 x 390g carton chopped tomatoes and stir in 120g conchigliette.
Add 1 liter vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add a handful of frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the peas are cooked.
Serve in large bowls with chunks of bread on the side

Spinach and ricotta pasta bake
Serves: 3
Per Serving: 546 kcal, 22.7g protein, 28.2g fat, of which 16.8g saturated fat, 53.7g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 4.0g fiber and 1.0g salt

Ingredients
50g Butter
A bunch of Spring onions, finely sliced
250g Frozen chopped spinach, thawed
200g Dried penne or fusilli pasta
A generous grating Nutmeg
30g Freshly grated grana padano
250g Ricotta

Method
Heat 40g butter in a pan, add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes.
Squeeze excess water from the spinach and add to the pan. Leave over a low heat to absorb the butter.
Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
Season the spinach and onions with salt, black pepper and nutmeg.
Add 20g grana padano.
Drain the pasta and tip into the spinach.
Stir in the ricotta mixture and spoon into a buttered dish.
Scatter with the rest of the grana padano.
Melt the remaining butter, trickle over, place under the grill and heat until golden.

Thai burgers
Per Serving: 376kcal, 41.3g protein, 11.4g fat, of which 2.8g saturated fat, 28.9g carbohydrate, 0g added sugars, 1.6g fiber and 1.2g salt

Ingredients
500gTurkey mince
1 bunch Spring onions, finely sliced
1½ tbsp Thai green or red curry paste
½ x 25g pack Coriander, chopped
a little Sunflower oil, for frying
4Crusty white round rolls
½ Round lettuce

Method
In a bowl, mix the turkey mince, spring onions, curry paste and coriander together until well combined.
Season and shape into 4 burgers, about 2cm thick.
Heat a little oil in a large, nonstick frying pan and cook the burgers over a medium heat for about 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Halve the rolls and fill with lettuce leaves and a burger.

Penne with prawns and courgettes
Serves: 4
Per Serving:440cals; 10g fat

Ingredients
350g Dried penne
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 Courgettes, trimmed and cut into batons
2 Garlic cloves fat, peeled and finely chopped
1 Red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 glass Dry white wine
1 x 220g pack Cooked large king prawns
½ Lemon zest grated
a handful of Flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Method
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne according to pack instructions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil, add the courgettes and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened and golden, stirring in the garlic and chilli for the final 2 minutes.
Next, add the wine and prawns, bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
Drain the pasta and toss with the prawn mixture, lemon zest and parsley.
Season to taste.

Prawn, Avocado, Lime and Chilli Noodles
Serves: 2
Per Serving: 602cals, 38.8g fat, of which 7.1g saturated fat; 31.5g carbohydrate; 31g protein; 1g added sugar; 0.6g salt; 6.1g fiber

Ingredients
60g (2½oz) Thai rice noodles
1 large avocado
1 large avocado
2 large red chillies
2 limes, zest and juice
1 pinch of sugar
2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
1 handful Frozen Soya beans, defrosted
1 x 220g pack Cooked jumbo king prawns
3 tbsp Chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp Chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp Chopped peanuts

Method
Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water, then leave to cool.
Peel and chop the avocado, and finely chop the chilies, removing the seeds. Toss the lime zest and juice in a bowl with the chilies, sugar, sesame oil, avocado, soya beans and a pinch of salt.
Add the prawns to the bowl with the herbs and noodles.
Toss together and serve in bowls, scattered with the peanuts.

Jerk chicken with coconut bean rice
Serves: 4

Ingredients
200g Long grain rice
1 x 410g tin Black-eye beans
1 x 400ml tin Coconut milk
8 Chicken thighs
1½ tbsp Jerk seasoning mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 Zest and juice of lime

Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
Bring a pan of water to the boil, and simmer the rice for 10 minutes.
Drain, return to the pan with the black-eye beans and their juice and the coconut milk.
Simmer for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
Toss the chicken thighs with the jerk seasoning mix and the oil.
Fry over a high heat for 3 minutes in a large ovenproof frying pan.
Add the sliced onions to the pan, lift the chicken on top, fry for 2 minutes, place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes until cooked through
Serve on the coconut bean rice sprinkled with lime zest and juice

My delivery is on Tuesday, the same day as my fruit and veg delivery from Damhead, so I hope to incorporate the two. EXCITEMENT!!!!

Damhead Organic Deliveries Week 1

We got our first Organic Fruit and Veg box delivered on Tuesday from Damhead farms. Here is a breakdown of what we got:

Small Fruit Bag (23 fruit items 9.80pounds/0.41p an item)
4 oranges
5 bananas
7 apples
4 plums
3 pears

Small Fruit & Veg Box (43 total items 10pounds/0.23p an item)
2 oranges
5 bananas
5 apples
1 courgette
3 leeks
2 little lettuce heads
3 tomatoes
4 parsnips
1 rutabaga
4 carrots
4 small onions
8 potatoes (various sizes)

By Satuday, November 1st, we have already gone through almost everything. Here is what we have left:

4 oranges, 2 bananas, 6 apples, 4 plums, 1 pear, and 1 courgette.

We only ate out once since the delivery. The fruit we didn’t do anything special with. A recipe came with the bag of Fruit and Veg, but we didn’t find it until we were cleaning out the bag to return it. It was for Winter Vegetable Minestrone Soup. I hope to cook it, as it looks very delicious and hearty. Here are some of the recipes I made with the items we received:

Parsnip, Carrot, and Potato Pancakes
(Makes 10 medium pancakes)
2 parsnip
2 carrots
3 potatoes
2 onions
1 cup all purpose flower
3 eggs
Salt and Pepper
Butter or Olive Oil for cooking

1. Peel and shred parsnips, carrots, and potatoes. Dice the onion.

2. In a bowl, at 1 cup all purpose flour and 3 eggs (pre-whisk the eggs before adding). Add salt and pepper as you prefer.

3. In a hot pan, add the butter/olive oil and start spooning in mixture to make little pancakes. Cook through on one side and then flip to cook the over side.

4. Lightly salt when you take them out of the pan. Serve with apple sauce, sour cream or ketchup, as you prefer!


Parsnip, Carrot, Rutabaga and Leek Cream Soup
(Serves 3-4)
2 parsnip (peeled and diced)
2 carrot (peeled and diced)
1 rutabaga (peeled and diced)
2 leek (cleaned, chopped, don’t use dark green area)
2 Knorr Vegetable Cubes
8 cups water
1 cup heavy cream

1. Heat the water and Vegetable Cubes to boiling.

2. Add the parsnips, carrots, rutabaga, and leeks. Cook until tender.

3. Drain, saving broth, and put into food processors. Blend until smooth, adding liquid. Put through a fine strainer if you want it really smooth, but otherwise it’ll have a few lumps.

4. Put back into pot and add 1 cup heavy cream. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Oriental Lettuce Cup
(Serves 2-3)
2 heads lettuce (tiny cups)
2 pound ground beef
2 TBSP Chinese 5 Spice
3 eggs
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp diced garlic
1 jar Housin Sauce

1. Cook the ground beef in a pan with the Chinese 5 Spice. Drain off grease and set aside.

2. Mix three eggs in a bowl with soy sauce and diced garlic. Salt and pepper as preferred. Put 2 TBSP butter or margarine in a pan and scramble the eggs while they cook in the pan until light and fluffy and cooked as you prefer.

3. Lay out the lettuce slices, so that they appear like little cups. Make sure they’re dry.

4. Lay some of the egg on the lettuce. Then cover it with the ground beef. Add a tsp of housing sauce over the top. Wrap and eat.


Potato and Leek Cream Soup
(serves 2)
4 potatoes (skinned and diced)
2 leeks (chopped, don’t use the dark green part)
3/4 cup double cream (heavy cream)
2 Knorr Chicken Cubes
6 cups water

1. Heat up the water and chicken cubes. Put in the diced potatoes and leeks.

2. Cook until extremely tender. Drain and save the broth.

3. Put the potatoes and leeks in a food processor with 1 cup of the broth from the cooking. Puree until smooth. Add more liquid as needed.

4. Then pour back in pan and add 3/4 cup double cream and mix thoroughly on very low heat until fully combined. It should be a very smooth, thin cream soup.

Tuna and Potato Bake
(serves 2)
4 potatoes (skinned and diced)
3 tomatoes (+4 non-organic tomatoes)
2 small onions (diced)
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp yellow, spicy mustard
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 can preferred tuna (drained)
Salt and pepper

1. Roast Tomatoes in halves and then chop into quarters. Dice small onions and cook them in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil until slightly soft. Skin and dice potatoes and cook them in water under soft.

2. Let the tomatoes and onions cool. When cool, add mayonnaise, mustard, and tuna.

3. Drain potatoes and spread on the bottom of a small baking dish. Let cool slightly. Salt and pepper. Pour tuna mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

4. Put under broiler for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly brown. Serve.


Next week we’re debating over what box we want to get. We like the amount of fruit, but we want more veg, I think. There was a salad bag they had listed which gives us peppers and things. We’re actually discussing testing the Large Fruit and Veg box which seems to have everything and will probably give us the amounts we want, since we do cook at home pretty much every night.

As of week one, I think it was really great. I’m worried about how soup seems to be the primary recipe to work with having so many vegetables. So I have a lot of research to do to try to find out how to expand what I can cook, because Ray does not like having soup every single day, despite it being winter. I can't wait to see what next Tuesday will bring.

Garlic Bread Soup

I got this from marthastewart.com and it just looked so delicious! We had it as an accompaniment to the stuffed peppers. It turned out ok and was VERY garlicy. So be prepared.

Garlic Bread Soup
Makes 5 cups; serves 4

Use a high-quality olive oil for the best flavor in this rustic soup. If you don't have stale bread on hand, lightly toast fresh bread, and tear it into small pieces.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
2 TBSP garlic paste
2 cups bite-size pieces stale crusty bread (4 ounces)
5 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs, beaten

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic paste; cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Add bread, and stir to coat. Stir in stock and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. Stir in eggs. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up eggs, about 10 minutes. Serve soup garnished with parsley leaves.

Sausage, Beans and Broccoli Rabe Soup

Another favorite that I got from the FoodNetwork.com website. This was done by Rachael Ray on her show 30 Minute Meals on the episode Rainy Day Relief. Late I'll post the delicious mozzerella sandwich that she did also which goes beautifully with this soup as a comfort on those rainy days.

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 1/4 pounds Italian bulk sweet sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into small dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cans white beans, drained
Salt and pepper
4 cups chopped broccoli rabe and greens
2 quarts chicken stock
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, to pass at table

Directions
Heat medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sausage and brown. Add veggies, bay leaf and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook mixture 5 minutes to begin to soften the vegetables. Add rabe and wilt. Add stock and cover pot. Raise heat and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve soup with grated cheese, for topping.

Sarah's Chili Con Carne

(Serves 6-8... good for bulk cooking and freezing)

Ingredients:

2 500g packages of ground beef (or preferred mince)

400g tomato paste

3 cans diced tomatoes (with liquid)

2 green bell pepper (diced and deseeded)

2 Ramiro Peppers (long red pepper, usually has a sweet taste) - (diced and deseeded)

2 cans kidney beans (drained and rinsed... if they have them with chili sauce, get those... I know Sainsbury does)

2 onions (yellow or white... diced)

8-10 slices of the jarred jalapenos in vinegar (dice them)

2 beef bullion cubes (Knorr brand is the best)

1/3 cup Worchester Sauce

1-2 cups water (depending on how thick you want it)

5 TBSP Cumin

5 TBSP Coriander

1.5 TBSP Chili Powder (hot)

1 TBSP Salt

1 TBSP ground black pepper

For Serving:

Preferred rice (wholegrain, brown, white, etc)

Sour Cream

Cheese

Jalapenos

Brown the meat with the onions. Drain off as much grease as possible when it's done. You can also, after you drain it, dump it on a plate covered in paper towel to pat off the excess.

Put the meat into a slow cooker. Depending on your slow cooker setting, I had mine turned on high (I only have high, medium, and low) and it cooked well in 4 hours. The key is to let it simmer. So if you don't want to use a slow cooker, turn your stove on medium low or low and cover everything.

To the meat add the rest of the ingredients, saving the water for last. Add one cup and if you still feel its too little, just add a little more until you feel it'll be the right consistency. I only added 2 cups and it didn't look like enough, but once the veggies started cooking it became more liquidy. So just be lean on the water. You can add more as you go if you don't feel you added enough.

Let simmer until the peppers are soft or until at desired taste/style. You should be able to tell when it's the type of done you want. Just cook it slow and it'll turn out great!

Use brown or white rice. Some also prefer noodles. It's up to you what you do with the chili when it is done. Enjoy!

Potato and Onion Soup

Potato and Onion Soup
(Serves 2-3)

1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you have it)
5 skinned, boiled, and mashed potatoes
1 TBSP steak seasoning
1 diced onion
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP butter or margarine

Peal, boil and mash the potatoes. Leave chunks if you like a little potato chunk if your soup. Do not use a mixer or make them creamy. Just mash them with a fork or masher.

Sautee onions in 1 TBSP butter until slightly translucent.

In a pot, add the broth, the mashed potatoes, steak seasoning, pepper, salt, 1 TBSP butter, and onions. Let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes, unless you need to make it less chunky by adding a little more broth as needed. Essentialy your just heating everything together.

Serve.

Note: You can be fancy and dress up the soup when serving by adding some thinly shredded cheddar or mixed cheese (not white cheese) on top.