Pasta Fagioli Soup

Pasta Fagioli Soup

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, diced
4 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, undrained
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
12 oz V-8 juice
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
pinch of red pepper flakes
8 oz shell pasta
Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large pot, brown ground beef and drain. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, saute for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except for pasta and cheese. Simmer for 1 hour. With about 10 minutes left, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta, then stir into soup. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe adapted from Cooking With Mandy

Cold Szechuan Noodles

My friend Katie brought this salad to a party a few weeks ago, and I couldn't wait to make it again! Yum, it is so good!

Cold Szechuan Noodles
recipe courtesy Katie Wenerstrom

3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp oriental sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 oz oriental noodles or broken up spaghetti, cooked and drained
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 shredded carrots
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

In small bowl, combine oil, honey, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes; blend well. Rinse cooked noodles in cold water to cool. In large bowl combine cooked noodles, chicken, cabbage, onions, carrots, and bell pepper. Pour dressing over salad; toss to mix. Salt to taste. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Refried Beans

I had heard great reviews about this recipe from multiple friends, so I was excited to try it. I knew it cooked in the crock pot all day, so in the morning I looked at the recipe so I would be prepared and cook it long enough. To my dismay I learned I was supposed to soak the beans over night. My husband was going out of town, looking forward to what I had told him we were having for dinner, and I wasn't going to change my plans. So I altered the recipe a little, and they still came out really good. I will put the changes I made to the original recipe at the end so if you are on top of things you can do it the right way, or if you are not (like me) you can do it a different way, that still tasted really good.

Refried Beans
adapted from Katie's Recipes

3 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chicken broth
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

Add all ingredients into an oven safe pot and cook in the oven at 200 degrees for 5-6 hours. (Or you can put it in a crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours). Take out some of the juices. Blend in a food processor or blender until desired consistency. If it is too thick you can add some juices back in.

If you want to use dry beans: Soak 1 lb. dry pinto beans over night and drain. Instead of the one can of chicken broth add 2 cups water and 3 cups chicken broth to replace it. Add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on high 6-8 hours.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I initially made the pork to put in enchiladas. They were good, but the pork on it's own is so good, we felt that the enchilada sauce covered it up. So we used the left over pork for sandwiches and put a little BBQ sauce on it. They were wonderful. I think the pork would also be really good on rice or as pork tacos. We will be trying those options the next time I make this.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast
adapted from Everyday Insanity

Pork shoulder roast
salt
pepper
cumin
dried oregano
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small can diced green chilies

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy pan. Season pork shoulder with salt, pepper, cumin, and dried oregano. Brown the roast on all sides. Add the chicken broth, cilantro, garlic and chilies. Bake covered at 200 degrees for 5-6 hours. Turn the roast half way through. Roast is done when meat is tender and shreds easily.

Remove pork from pan and shred. Drain the drippings, remove fat, discard. Drizzle drippings over shredded pork. At this point the meat can be made into a sandwich or used for enchiladas, tostadas etc. It can also be frozen in 1 or 2 cup portions.