Minestrone

Description: This is a favorite of mine when the weather gets cooler. This recipe makes a ton of food, so it is great for large gatherings or for freezer meals. This makes 3 meals for my family.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp. EVOO

2-4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped

1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 package frozen spinach

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can garbonzo beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. basil

1 tsp. salt

1 cup white wine (I like Pinot Grigio)

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups beef broth

46 ounces tomato juice

1 box small, shell pasta

Preparation: Don't feel overwhelmed by the ingredient list. This comes together so quickly! First you want to heat the oil in a very large pot, about a 12 quart pot. Cook onion and garlic in hot oil until onions are translucent. Add all the seasonings and stir around. Add all the beans and vegetables to the pot. Give a good stir before adding in the broths, wine and tomato juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Stir in pasta and cook for another 30 minutes. The pasta will absorb a lot of liquid, so if it gets too thick you can add a little more broth or water. Be sure to test for salt and pepper before serving.

Alterations: Try different wines out and see which one you like best. Other than that, I can't really think of any alterations. Do make sure you read the labels of the broths you get for unwanted ingredients.

Rating: My crew gives this 4 stars simply because my son, the picky eater, will only eat the beans and pasta out of the bowl when I make this. I however, crave this and will eat it day after day!

Bushaloni in Red Gravy

Description: I grew up with an Italian mother who referred to marinara as red gravy. Don't ask, I have no idea why! It is SO easy and delicious despite it's simplicity and inexpensive cut of meat.

Ingredients:

4 cups marinara

1 or 2 round steaks

1/2 onion sliced thin

1/2 bell pepper sliced thin

salt and pepper

cooking thread

Preparation: Lay steaks flat on cutting board and remove excess fat from sides. Season with salt and pepper, flip over and season other side. Then spread a thin layer of onions and bell peppers on top. Roll meat from one side to the other like a burrito. Tie up with cooking thread and drop into a pot of marinara. This will need to cook for 4 hours or longer. It works wonderfully in a crockpot! The meat will be so tender that you can cut it with a fork. You can serve this over spaghetti, spaghetti squash or rice noodles. Enjoy :)

Alternatives: If you don't have a dairy allergy go ahead and sprinkle parmesan cheese on the steak before you roll it up. (That is how my mom used to make it.)

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my family and is frequently requested during the week. What does your crew think?

Red Beans and Rice

Description: I am from New Orleans. Enough said?! We eat red beans and rice almost every Monday night.

Ingredients:

1 pound of red beans

2 stalks celery, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 yellow onions, sliced thin

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp. thyme

1 Tbsp. parsley

1 package sausage

1 smoked turkey leg or ham hock

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Wash and pick over beans to remove stones and bad beans. Soak in water for 8-10 hours. Dice sausage and put in large pot. Cook on high heat for about 5 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic to sausage. Continue to cook until onions turn translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 2-4 hours. The longer you cook them, the thicker and creamier your beans will be. Before serving, take the back of a heavy spoon and mash some of the beans against the side of the pot. Then give a good stir before serving over rice. Most southerners serve this with cornbread, but since we can't have corn in our house anymore I serve them with dinner rolls. (A recipe for another day!)

I always make a double batch when I cook this and we get 5 meals out of it when I do that; one for now and four for later. Which means that I only have to cook it once a month and we have beans for every Monday night.

Alterations: My husband likes to put a few dashes of Tabasco on his before he eats, because he likes a little spice. If your family likes food spicier, add a dash or two of cayenne pepper to the pot when you add the other spices.

Rating: As my husband shovels spoonfuls into his mouth before I put the rest away for another meal he gives this meal 5 stars. I hope your crew enjoys it as much as mine does.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Description: These meatballs are packed with butternut squash, but you wouldn't be able to tell if I had not just told you! I get a request for these at least once a week, that's how good they are! This recipe makes enough for 2 meals worth of spaghetti and meatballs. We eat it one night and freeze the other half for a busy night.

Ingredients:

4 cups marinara

1 pound ground meat

1 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (check ingredient list, the only brand I have found to use is found at Kroger called Panko)

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 cup butternut squash (roasted and pureed)

1 Tbsp. wheat germ

Preparation: Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients, except marinara, in a large bowl and mix well. If you like large meatballs use a large scooper to get equal sized meatballs. For smaller ones use a small mellon baller for equal sized meatballs. We use the smaller one because we have young kids and it is easier for them to eat. But do whatever you like! After rolling all the meat into balls, place on foil lined baking sheet and put in oven. Cook for 5 minutes and then remove pan to turn them and cook for another another 5 minutes. Larger meatballs will cook for 10 minutes before turning and then for another 5-10 minutes depending on size. When cooked, remove from pan and put into a pot of marinara to absorb a little of the sauce for about 30 minutes on simmer. They are cooked and ready to serve whenever you are.

Alternatives: To make this a wheat free meatball simply switch out the breadcrumbs for Holgrain brown rice crumbs or wheat free crackers crushed up and remove the wheat germ. You can serve it over spaghetti squash or rice noodles as well for a wheat free meal.

Rating: This also gets 5 stars from my crew. I have to cook them when my husband is not home because he will devour half a dozen before I can get the food to the table.

My Marinara

Description: This marinara is so delicious that all of my friends use this recipe and none of us buy canned any more. It makes a lot, about 3 meals worth for my family, so use a large pot. I use a 5 1/2 quart pot when making a single batch of this and a 12 quart pot when I make a double batch.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup EVOO

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. white pepper

3 medium bay leaves

1 26 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 26 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

Preparation: Pour EVOO in pot. When heated add onion, bell pepper, garlic and green onions. Cook until onion is transparent and bell pepper turns bright green, about 5 minutes. Add all of the seasonings and stir around for a minute or two. Stir in all 4 cans of tomatoes and then fill each can about half way with water to get what was left in the can. Pour those into pot as well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2-4 hours. The longer you cook it the deeper the flavors will be. I put a pot on after lunch and it is ready for dinner. I serve it with spaghetti squash when it is in season or whole wheat pasta and homemade meatballs. (Recipe to come later.)

Alternatives: If you like a chunky sauce then use 2 26 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, if you like a smoother sauce then use 2 26 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes. If you like a little more heat add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper to it as well. To have a wheat free spaghetti night use the spaghetti squash with salt and pepper, to taste, on it or with rice noodles.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from everyone who has ever tried this recipe. I would love to know what you think!

Magic Meatloaf

Description: I call this magic meatloaf because all 5 people in my family clean their plates, ask for seconds and clean their plates again. It is a favorite in our house!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound ground meat

2 cups Panko breadcrumbs (Check the ingredient list, the only brand I buy is at Kroger and it is called Panko.)

1/2 cup marinara sauce + 4 Tbsp. marinara (reserved)

1/4 onion chopped, finely diced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup carrots, steamed and pureed

1 Tbsp. wheat germ

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together except for the 4 Tbsp. marinara in large bowl. Shape into loaf. (I use a corningware piece instead of a loaf pan because it tends to cook better that way.) Pour remaining marinara over top and bake in oven for about 1 hour. The internal temperature should be around 155-160 degrees. I cook one large loaf and we eat half of it. So this gives us 2 meals, one to eat and the other to freeze or eat later in the week. (I will publish my marinara recipe this week as well; it is my most requested recipe from friends and family.)

Alternatives: To make this wheat free all you have to do is change out the breadcrumbs and remove the wheat germ. There are rice breadcrumbs called Holgrain found at at Whole Foods that you could use or a wheat free cracker crushed up in the food proccesor.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from my crew, how about yours?