Sausage 'n Sage Butter Top Stuffing ~ by D'Lynn

Sausage n Sage Butter Top Stuffing

1 Bag of bread crumbs (I used seasoned Marie Callendars)

2 rolls of Jimmy Dean SAGE Sausage (or if you like it spicy use 1 of sage and 1 of HOT Spice)

1 cup butter

2-3 cups of chicken or turkey broth

1 cup of chopped celery

1 cup of chopped onion

1 Tbsp Olive oil

2 – 3 Tbsp of Sage

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp of freshly minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

In a medium pan brown the sausage with the minced garlic.

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil and sweat the onions and celery.  Sprinkle the sage, salt and pepper over the veggies and then add ¾ cup of butter to melt.   Add the sausage and garlic to the veggies and mix.  Start with adding a couple cups of broth and mix until moist, add more broth to get the right texture.

Spoon mixture into a 9x13 baking dish, do not pack.  Seal with foil.

Bake for 40 min at 350 degrees.

Take out and remove the foil, add remaining butter in pats over the top, return to oven for another 5-7 minutes.

ENJOY!  Gobble Gobble

Weight Loss Magic Soup ~ by Sarah

Now, don't get all excited about the title.  There's really nothing "magic" about it.  You're just supposed to eat it for lunch, snack, and dinner for two weeks and then you'll supposedly lose weight.  Well, duh.  But I'm pretty sure that if I ate this three times a day for 14 days, I would never want to eat it ever again.  But it is a delicious soup and very, very filling.  It makes a TON--like almost more than my big crockpot could hold--so make sure you freeze it or halve the recipe if you don't think you'll get through it in a week.  Wes and I are both taking it for lunch and it looks like it's going to be the perfect amount to get us through the week.  It is delicious, fresh, and will keep you full!

Ingredients:

2 cans chicken broth (I used low-sodium)
3 cups V-8 juice (you can use low-sodium V8--which I did--or even tomato juice)
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 package sliced mushrooms
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
2 cups fresh or frozen green beans
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 cups shredded cabbage
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
3 chicken breasts, boiled and cubed (This is my addition.  There is no way I can do lunch without meat, so I added it.  I'm sure it still keeps the calories low.)

Directions:
In a large frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, sauté garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. In a large crockpot, combine sautéed garlic and vegetables with the remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until vegetables are cooked.  (This is where I will do things differently last time.  This filled my crockpot SO full that it took forever for the soup to begin to boil and I actually had to cook it on high for about 4 1/2 hours.  So next time I will put it in my Dutch oven on the stove so that I can stir it and not have it take so long.)  This makes a large batch of soup. If you would like to freeze portions of it to use later, undercook the vegetables just a little. Pour the soup into freezer Ziplock bags and let as much air out as you can. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the soup is frozen flat, it is easy to layer in your freezer and won't take up much room. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat.

Obviously not my picture...

Here is the link to the original post: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2014/01/weight-loss-magic-soup.html

Tortilla Soup ~ by Sarah

I found this recipe on Pinterest after wanting to find a good soup to take to Mom's for Christmas Eve.  It was definitely delicious!  I did all the prep work that morning, so putting it together was really easy.  It smelled wonderful while it was cooking and tasted even better!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
¼ cup diced green bell pepper
¼ cup red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 oz. can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
32 ounces, fluid low sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups hot water
2 cans (15 oz. can) black beans, drained
3 tablespoons cornmeal or masa
5 whole corn tortillas, cut into uniform strips around 2 to 3 inches

Garnishes:
sour cream
diced avocado
diced red onion
salsa or pico de gallo
grated Monterey Jack cheese
fresh cilantro

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir. Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips. Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese. (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

(Not my picture...)

Company Casserole ~ by Kelsey

This is from my "A Taste of Oregon" cookbook.  I am going to post the recipe as it is written in the book, but I will note the changes I made when I prepared it.  This was SO good.  Even Grace ate it, and she NEVER eats what I cook for dinner.  I completely left out the butter this recipe calls for, and it was still very rich!

Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 pounds ground beef ( I used 1.5 lbs since that's how ours is packaged)
1 tablespoon butter (again, I left out the butter)
4 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 cup cottage cheese
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped scallion or onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper (Now this confused me.  One tablespoon?  Seemed like a typo.  I used one whole green pepper)
2 tablespoons butter, melted (again, omitted by me)

Cook and drain noodles.  Saute beef in large skillet, using one tablespoon butter, until brown.  Stir in tomato sauce and remove from heat.  Set aside.  Combine in a bowl the cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, scallion, and green pepper.  Using a 3-quart casserole, spread half the noodles, then cover with the cheese mixture.  Add the rest of the noodles. (I found it hard to spread the cheese on the noodles, so I ended up just mixing the cheese with the noodles.)  Pour two tablespoons of melted butter over top of noodles.  Cover with meat mixture.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375.

Spicy Chicken-Corn Chowder ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe from Aunt D'Lynn.  (I think she got it from Better Homes and Gardens.)  It is good, but yowzers it's spicy!  And I even was very conservative with the spicy stuff.  So if you like spicy, you'll love it.  If you're like me and spicy things make you run for a glass of milk, you might want to just barely spice it up.  Because it would be delicious even without the heat!  I think next time I make it I will eliminate all things spicy and maybe add some smoked paprika.

Ingredients:
8 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. (about 4 boneless, skinless breasts) bite-sized raw chicken pieces
1 1/2 c. chopped red sweet pepper
1 c. chopped sweet onion
1-2 chopped jalapeno peppers (I used half of one and it was spicy enough for me!)
4 minced garlic cloves
1/3 c. flour
6 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
2 large Yukon potatoes, chopped
2 c. frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (I used 1/4 t. and it was plenty for me!)
2 bay leaves

Directions:
(I used my Dutch oven to make this in--worked perfectly!)  Cook bacon.  Remove.  Reserve 1 T. drippings.  Add chicken.  Season.  Remove.  Add pepper and onion.  Cook till tender.  Add jalapeno and garlic.  Cook 3 minutes.  Stir in flour.  Cook 1 minute.  Add broth and potatoes.  Boil, then reduce heat.  Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.  Stir in bacon, chicken, corn, cream, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves.  Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaves and serve.

I stole this picture from Better Homes and Gardens.  I forgot to take my own and Wes loved this (he loves spice so much he even added Frank's Hot Sauce!) so it didn't last long!

Penne With Chicken Thighs ~ by Sarah

I saw this on The Pioneer Woman's website the other day and wanted to try it because it looked quick, easy, and good!  It was delicious--who knew chicken thighs could be so tasty?!?

**Note...make sure you remember that you need to allow for 1 1/2 hours of baking time!

Click here for her step-by-step instructions with pictures all along the way: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/10/penne-with-chicken-thighs/

Ingredients

• 8 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on
• Salt And Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 jars (24 Ounces Each) Marinara Sauce
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling
• 16 ounces, weight Penne Or Rigatoni

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs quickly on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a separate plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon grease/oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir to heat. Add chicken thighs back into the sauce. Cover and place pan in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. (You may also simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat possible.)

Cook the pasta according to package instructions Serve 1 chicken thigh with sauce over pasta, adding more marinara if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. (For smaller children, you can cut the meat off the bone for them. Chicken is very tender!)

(Pioneer Woman photo)

Pot Roast, Vegetables, and Beer ~ by Sarah

I got a Dutch oven for Christmas and was anxious to try it out.  (If you don't have a Dutch oven, a big, heavy-bottomed stock pot will work.)  This came from allrecipes.com and is by far the best pot roast I've ever made.  It made the house smell amazing!  I used a super cheap roast--chuck.  It cooks slowly, so it's nice and tender when it's done!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3 pound) beef pot roast
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound carrots, cut into chunks
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle dark beer
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the pot roast on all sides in the hot oil; remove from pan and set aside. Cook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until they begin to soften and turn brown, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes to the pot; cook and stir until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix the flour into the vegetables; stir continuously for 1 minute. Pour the beef stock and beer into the mixture and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Add the Bay leaf, thyme, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Place the pot roast atop the entire mixture. Cover pot with lid.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until the meat and vegetables are completely tender, about 2 1/2 hours. (Mine was a little overcooked by going this long, so I'll probably only do 2 hours next time.)

I stole this picture from the website.  We all know what a pot roast looks like...

Smoky Beef-and-Bacon Chili ~ by Sarah

This recipe originally came from Sunset Magazine, but was given to me by my co-worker, MaryRuth.  It is so delicious and will definitely be replacing our regular chili recipe!  It is a bit spicy, so you might want to back down on the cayenne pepper and chili powder if you're wimpy like me.

Ingredients:
4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2-2 lbs. ground beef (she said this is also really good with elk burger)
1 T plus 1 1/2 t. chili powder
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. smoked paprika (You might have trouble finding this in the grocery store--I had to borrow some from MaryRuth!)
1/2 t. to 1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
1 can (14.5-oz.) crushed or diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can (8 ox.) tomato sauce
1 c. Indian Pale Ale (IPR) or pilsner
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
sour cream, green onions, and/or grated cheddar cheese for topping

Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring until it just begins to brown, about 4-7 minutes.  Stir in garlic and onion and cook for about 1 minute.  Add ground beef and break up.  Cook 6-8 minutes; until it loses its raw color.  Stir in spices and cook 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beer, and Worcestershire and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes.  Add beans and cook 10 more minutes, uncovered.  Season to taste with additional salt.

Vegetable Lasagna (With Meat) ~ by Sarah

It's lasagna--without the carbs! I got most of this recipe from my ground beef cookbook, but I changed it quite a bit to more closely resemble the regular lasagna I make. You can add or subtract vegetables as you wish. My kids don't usually eat spinach, zucchini, or mushrooms, and they ate them in this. They had no clue they were in there! It was really, really good!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 jar marinara sauce
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 package sliced mushrooms
4 zucchini or 2 zucchini and 2 yellow squashes, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
2 T flour
1 to 2 cups fresh spinach
2 T chopped fresh basil
16 oz. small curd cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
shredded mozzarella cheese  (I used reduced-fat and it was fine)
shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat.  Season as desired.  If you have Italian Seasoning, dump some in!  Drain.  Add marinara sauce, stewed tomatoes, and mushrooms.  Mix well (I used the spatula to chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces) and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.

 While the meat is simmering, grease a baking dish and layer the bottom with zucchini and yellow squash.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese with beaten eggs.  Add 1 tablespoon fresh basil.  Pour half of the mixture over the zucchini and squash and spread evenly.  Add a layer of half of the meat sauce, then another layer of zucchini and squash with 1 tablespoon flour.  Spread the second half of the cottage cheese mixture over that.  Sprinkle with as much spinach as desired.

Spread with the last of the meat mixture.  Add as much Parmesan and mozzarella cheese as desired.  Sprinkle with remaining basil.  Bake at 375 degrees about 40 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.  Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

As you can see, it's pretty watery due to all the vegetables.  The flour is to help that, but the more veggies you use, the watery it will be.  It didn't bother us, though!  This is nice because it doesn't require a side dish.  I baked some garlic bread, but that was it!  A meal in one!

Chicken Fajita Marinade ~ by Sarah

I got this from allrecipes.com and added chili powder to give it a little kick.  Delicious!

Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup beer
* 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (it took about 5 limes to get this amount)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* salt to taste
* 1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:
1. To prepare the marinade, stir together beer, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and salt; mix well.
2. To use marinade, pour into a resealable plastic bag, add up to 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast, and mix until chicken is well coated. Marinate for 1 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Saute vegetables, remove from pan, cook meat, then add veggies back to meat mixture to blend flavors.  Serve as desired!

Cheers!

Anderson Shish Kabobs ~ by Sarah

You've tried Hanning Shish Kabobs, now you should try shish kabobs ala Anderson!  Wes is famous for these--they are to die for!

Ingredients:
1 family-sized package petite sirloin steaks
2 zucchini
1 package whole fresh musrooms
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 sweet onion
1 heaping regular-sized spoonful of pre-minced, jarred garlic
2 bottles teriyaki sauce marinade
1 package shish kabob skewers

Directions:
Cut the vegetables into uniform pieces about 1 inch by 1 inch.  Put in a large bowl and  pour one bottle of marinade over them.  Stir well to coat.  Cover and put in refrigerator.

Trim the meat well and cut into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces.  Place in Ziplock bag.  Add garlic.  Pour in the other bottle of marinade.  Seal bag and mix well to cover the meat.  Put in refrigerator.

Allow veggies and meat to marinate in the refrigerator for at least t 6 hours.

When ready to start cooking, soak the wooden shish kabob skewers in water for about 15 minutes.  Add meat and veggies to the skewers in whatever order suits your fancy.  Save the leftover veggie marinade, but discard the meat marinade.

Barbecue over medium-high heat about 10 minutes or until meat is cooked to your desired wellness.  (Medium-rare, baby!)  While cooking, brush leftover marinade from the veggies on the shish kabobs.

Serve with white or brown rice.  I could eat these daily.  And they're great leftover--even cold from the fridge!

Chicken Pot Pie ~ by Sarah

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe and you must make this.  If you like pie you must make this.  If you like chicken you must make this.  If you like pot...oh, wait.  But still, you must make this!

Molly and Kelsey, you don't know what you're missing!

Ingredients:
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 large onion
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 c. frozen peas
2 c. cooked chicken
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 c. white wine (optional)
1 c. heavy cream
1 t. thyme
1 t. kosher salt, or more to taste
black pepper to taste
pie crust (This link goes to a recipe for Mom's pie crust.  I used Pioneer Woman's pie crust recipe, but they are very similar...)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Begin by finely dicing the vegetables.

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, and peas.  Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.  Add the chicken and stir to combine.  Here's how I did the chicken: I boiled a young whole chicken, cooled it, removed the skin, and then picked off the meat until I had two cups.

Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and chicken and stir to combine.  Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.  Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly.  Stir in the bouillon cube and wine, if using.  Pour in the cream and stir.  Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually, about 4 minutes.  Season with thyme, salt, and pepper.  Remove from heat.  Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. 

Pour the chicken into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.  (This made enough for me to fill two pie plates, so I made two and then covered one and froze it for later.) 

Roll out the crust so that it's 1 inch larger than the pan.  Place the crust on top of the chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top.  Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

You can't believe how delicious this is!  The filling is so creamy and savory.  I loved it!

Corn Salad ~ by Sarah

I had this at Ainslee's birthday party last Sunday and it was so good.  Very refreshing!  It calls for a full red onion.  When I made it, the red onion was hot, so I would have preferred a little less since it kind of overwhelmed it.

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen corn
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper
1 T. chopped parsley
6 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped

Dressing:
2 T. vinegar
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup beef broth

Directions:
Combine the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.  Mix the dressing in a separate bowl and then add to the corn mixture.  Stir well.  

Baked Dinner ~ by Sarah

This is another recipe from Angela. I am anxious to try it because she said her kids love it.

Ingredients:
3 c. raw potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 can whole kernel corn
1/2 c. grated onion
1 can peas
salt & pepper
1 can tomatoes (I use the ones with Italian seasonings)

(I didn't have peas this time so I used green beans.)

Directions:
Arrange a layer of potatoes in a greased baking dish. Season well, I use garlic salt, Johnny's, sea salt and pepper. Add corn, peas and top with raw ground beef mixed with onions and shaped into patties. Pour tomatoes over all. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Creamy Rosemary Potatoes ~ by Sarah

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe. Be careful, you're bound to gain a pound just from reading the ingredient list! They are very, very good, though!

Ingredients:
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter
1 c. half-and-half
5 or 6 medium russet potatoes, unpeeled, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 to 1 t. salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 T minced rosemary leaves (The recipe actually calls for 2, but the rosemary flavor was almost overwhelming, so next time I'm going to half it.)
3 green onions, light green and medium green parts, thinly sliced
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 T minced chives

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Rub the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with softened butter.  (I just sprayed it with Pam, instead.)  Combine the half-and-half and the cream in a large measuring cup.  Using a mandolin or a very sharp knife, slice the potatoes very thinly.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Drizzle with half of the half-and-half/cream mixture and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter.  Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.  Cut the bar of cream cheese in half and add the halves to the skillet, stirring constantly.  Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and combined, about 3 minutes.  Pour in the remaining half-and-half/cream mixture and stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper and stir.  Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  (I also added seasoning salt.)  Do not undersalt!  Add the rosemary and green onions and stir to combine.

Finally, add 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.  Pour the cream-soaked potatoes into the baking dish.  Pour the cream cheese mixture over the top.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese over the top.

Bake for at least one hour, or until golden brown and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with the chives, then cut into squares to serve.  So yummy!  (So fattening!)

Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Onions ~ by Kelsey

This is something we have literally EVERY night in the late summer.  We have so much zucchini from our garden that it's our regular side dish for months.  I recently noticed that you can actually buy zucchini in the winter at the store!  Ha ha!  Right next to it are some lovely-looking yellow squash.  Since I am longing for any reminder of summer, I decided to make this last night.

Ingredients:
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Sweet Onions (I LOVE Walla Walla Sweets, but unfortunately this time of year I have to settle for other sweet varieties.)

Put just a tiny bit of olive oil in a pan over med-low heat.  Wash the produce and slice it.  Put it all in the pan and stir frequently, until the veggies are tender.

Pico De Gallo ~ by Sarah

This is another Pioneer Woman favorite in our house.  Wes will eat an entire bowl of it in one day!  Simple, but so refreshing!

 Ingredients:

roma tomatoes

fresh cilantro

white or yellow onion 

jalapeno pepper

lime

salt

Directions: Chop up equal amounts of roma tomatoes, onion, and cilantro and put in a medium-sized bowl.  Dice the jalapeno (after removing the seeds and membranes--unless you want your pico hot, hot, hot!) and add it to the bowl.  Squeeze the juice of half the lime into the bowl.

Stir the ingredients all together and add salt to taste.

Delicious!

Audrey loves it!

Wes will even stop what he's doing in his shop to come eat some!

Spicy Bean Soup ~ by Molly

This is a delicious recipe--but some of the ingredients are a little hard to find in The Dalles. I've used other kinds of beans when I couldn't find cannellini, and used other colors of lentils and it worked just fine.
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network)

Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
45 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
10 servings
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, optional
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 (11 1/2-ounce) can tomato juice
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (3-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dried green lentils
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 2 zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 2 yellow crookneck squash, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Heat the oil in a heavy large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic, and saute until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, tomato juice, tomato paste, cheese rind, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the broth, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, and lentils. Stir in the broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender and the mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Season the stew to taste with more salt, if desired.

Ladle the stew into bowls. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and basil, and serve.