Dinner!

Four dinner recipes that we have used lately. Three are vegetarian (2 are even vegan!) and only one requires a lot of prep/time (but it is totally worth it).

1. Cowboy Stew (from A Man, A Can, A Plan)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 15-oz can turkey chili
1 14-oz can baked beans

Brown ground beef and onion, then drain. Add chili and baked beans. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with cheddar cheese.

This is the easiest "chili" recipe you are ever going to find, and it tastes so good!

2. Baked "Ziti"
1 16-oz box pasta (I had elbow macaroni)
1 jar favorite red pasta sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the pasta and place in a 13x9 dish. Stir in ricotta cheese while pasta is hot (to help it melt and distribute evenly.) Stir in pasta sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and golden--10-15 minutes.

Both of my kids scarfed this down. Sammy had 3 helpings! I had to laugh because it was so cheap--about $4 worth of food and it filled us all with some left over.

3. Peanut Noodles (adapted from Fitness magazine)
1/2 box spaghetti or angel hair pasta
2 cups water or chicken broth
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup cooked peas
Juice of one lime (optional)

Cook and drain the noodles. In a large pot or skillet (wherever you cooked the pasta--fewer dishes), mix the water, peanut butter, and soy sauce until emulsified. Simmer the sauce until slightly thickened. Add in the pasta and peas; toss to coat.

Kids love these, too. And I love making pseudo-Thai food without having to buy fish sauce, hoisin sauce, or any other random Asian ingredient that I'd never use up.

4. Butternut Squash Soup (the hard one) (again from Fitness magazine)
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
6 cups (2.5 lbs) diced butternut squash
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups low-sodium broth
2 cups water

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and curry powder and cook for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender until almost smooth.

Notes:
--I used vegetable bullion for my broth
--I chopped all the veggies/fruits the day before and stored them in the freezer
--I made my own beans in the crockpot (I know. Overachiever.)
--This soup freezes very well. I had some for lunch today and it was just as good as the first night. It makes a TON of soup, so have some freezer bags on hand.

We made cheese toasts to go with the soup. I'm sure you could use any bread/cheese combo for this:

Cut bread (sourdough) into small finger pieces. Butter each piece, then top with a slice of cheese (swiss). Toast under the broiler, watching them VERY carefully to avoid burning. Serve with warm soup.

Enjoy!