HEARTY VEGETABLE SOUP

this picture does not do this soup justice. this soup was really good and really easy to make!

1 lb. veggie beef (i prefer morningstar farms)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 c. water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 3/4" cubes
1-14 1/2 oz. can italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf

in a large pot saute the onion, celery, and carrots in the olive oil with the salt and pepper. cook over med-high until vegetables soften.

meanwhile, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. drain and set aside. in the same pot you cooked the potatoes in, cook the beef according to package directions and set aside.

when vegetables are cooked through, add the water, diced tomatoes (with their juices), tomato sauce, dried parsley, dried basil, and the bay leaf.

bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 10 minutes. When there is only 2 minutes until the soup is done, add the beef and potatoes and stir together well.

make sure to discard the bay leaf before you serve!

BRUSCHETTA

if you haven't had bruschetta, all you need to know is that it is essentially pizza. this bruschetta is easy to make and really good! if you have any leftovers of the tomato mixture it makes a great salad!

1/2 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch thick slices
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 roma tomatoes, diced
3 yellow tomatoes, diced
large handful of basil leaves, julienned
1 c. mozzarella, shredded, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

preheat oven to 375.

bake the bread in the oven for 4 minutes, just until it begins to get toasted. remove and set aside.

meanwhile, over medium heat, cook the garlic in the olive oil until it becomes fragrant. this should only take a few minutes...don't let the garlic brown!

in a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper.

take your garlic oil mixture and brush it over the slices of toasted bread.

top the toasts with mozzarella and then top each with a bit of the tomato mixture.

bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS

this serves 2.

12 jumbo pasta shells
1/2 lb. veggie beef (I prefer morningstar farms veggie crumbles)
1 c. salsa
4 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed
8 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. sharp cheddar, shredded

toppings:
salsa
black olives
green onions

preheat oven to 350.

cook pasta shells and drain. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until mostly cooked through. Stir in the salsa, tomato sauce, corn, and beans. spoon this mixture into the taco shells.

Place stuffed shells in a small baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Lay the shells side by side and as close to each other as possible. top with the shredded cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

top with salsa, olives, and green onions.

YELLOW PEPPER SALSA

so i've been obsessed with making salsas lately...and this is one of my new favorites. Now trey keeps arguing with me that this isn't technically salsa since there aren't any peppers in it...but there are bell peppers! if you want it spicy, throw a few jalapenos in there :) I like this salsa just the way it is!

8 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 a yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 a roma tomato, finely diced
1/4 c. red onion, finely diced
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper, to taste

mix these all together and if you have time to let is sit for about 20-30 minutes before eating it, it's ever better!

I served this salsa on top of some sweet potato cakes with some sour cream but it would be fine with chips or quite honestly just by itself!

ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

1 lb. fresh brocolli florets
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

preheat oven to 400.

toss all the ingredients together except for the lemon juice on a baking sheet. arrange the brocolli in a single layer.

bake until stems are fork tender, about 15 minutes, turning them halfway through.

transfer to a serving bowl and mix with the lemon juice.

serve warm.

HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

so...i just discovered this tortilla recipe and i'm never buying packaged tortillas again! these are so easy to make and so much better and fluffier!



(this recipe is for 12 tortillas)

3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon salt
5 tbsp. softened butter
3/4-1 c. warm water

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl (add 3/4 of the water first, and then see if it needs the rest). knead the dough until it’s tacky. (Somewhat sticky, but not enough to stick to your fingers.) divide the dough into 12 small balls.



cover these with a clean towel and let them sit for 10 minutes. then, place a little flour on a clean surface and roll each ball into a flat tortilla shape. make sure to get them as thin as possible.




heat a dry skillet over med-high heat. you will have to cook the tortillas one at a time for about 30 seconds on each side. you will see bubbles begin to form, that's when you will know to flip it. depending on how much excess flour you have on them, there will begin to be burnt flour residue in your skillet. wipe that out every few minutes so it doesn't get all over your tortillas.

these are best served warm but you can keep them in a ziploc bag, at room temperature, for about 3 days or so and you can also freeze them.

BARBECUE CHICKEN SALAD

4 c. chopped romaine lettuce
2 roma tomatoes
1 large carrot, chopped
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pkg quorn naked chik'n cutlets
1/2 c. barbecue sauce
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

take the cutlets out of the package and coat them with barbecue sauce all over. set aside.

place the lettuce, tomatoes, and carrot in a serving bowl.

in a small pot, cook the corn and black beans in the butter until cooked through. set aside.

meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the cutlets in the olive oil according to package directions.

combine the beans and corn (with the juices from the pot) and the cutlets (with the juices from the skillet) into the salad.

add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste and mix well.

PASTA WITH GOLDEN TOMATOES AND SPINACH

sorry guys, i've really been behind on posting recipes!! between school and work i didn't have much time to get on the computer and post! here we go...

1/2 pound small shell pasta
3 c. golden cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 purple onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 tbsp butter
4 c. baby spinach
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain.

Heat the butter in a small sauce pan. When melted and starting to bubble, add the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and thyme; season with salt and pepper and simmer on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should break down.

Add the tomato mixture to the pasta, along with the spinach and cheese. Stir to combine.