I thought I'd share a couple recipes today of meals we've been making this summer that are quick and easy, since our schedules are busier than usual right now. Like I've said before, these are definitely simple, and not fancy! But they taste great and our kids love them too. And I love that they take me no time at all to throw together!
Excuse the pathetic camera phone photo here. :) But here's Selah enjoying some minestrone soup. :)
Italian Minestrone Soup
(this recipe was taken from www.myrecipes.com, but I've modified it a bit. Here's my modified recipe:)
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
* 2 ribs celery, chopped
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 large carrot, chopped
* 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
* 2 cups tomatoes pureed
(My mom's husband grows tomatoes, purees them and jars them. This is what I use)
* 3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
* 1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chick peas), rinsed and drained
* 1/2 cup frozen corn
* 1/2 cup frozen peas
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 cup uncooked small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained (We use Quinoa pasta)
* Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top (for those who can have dairy)
* Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. HEAT oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic. Cook and stir until crisp-tender.
2. ADD potato and carrots. Cook and stir until crisp-tender. Stir in corn, peas, tomato juice and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.
3. MIX in the beans, parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and flavors have blended.
4. STIR in cooked pasta and just before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top (if you can have dairy).
Side notes: I added a handful of finely chopped spinach (or green chard, whatever is in the fridge) in the last 5 min of cooking. And I used "The spice hunter's salt free chef's shake blend" seasoning instead of all the others listed in the recipe. We love to crumble corn chips on top too. :) Our kids love this soup!
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Another quick and easy dinner we've been enjoying is:
Thai peanut chicken (bbq'ed)
Red Quinoa
Grilled veggies with seasoning
At almost any grocery store you can find Gluten-free Thai Peanut Sauce. I love to marinade strips of organic chicken in this sauce and then I hand it off to Josh to have him bbq it. We add more sauce at the end!
Red Quinoa cooked in veggie broth is rich and tasty.
And for the veggies, I just throw them in some olive oil in the cast iron skillet and toss them with some sea salt and "The spice hunter's salt free chef's shake blend" seasoning. And then coat them with a tiny bit of Earth Balance butter at the end while they're still a tiny bit firm, and browned/crisp. They taste wonderful! We've been cooking up simple veggies like broccoli (peel and chop the stalks - they're great!), carrots, celery, squash, zucchini, etc.
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Lastly another quick recipe is Taco Soup. This may sound weird, but it's another family favorite that takes no time at all to make!
In the crock pot I put:
2 large organic chicken breasts
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning (we've found a g-free seasoning in the health section at Fred Meyer)
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups of tomatoes pureed
(My mom's husband grows tomatoes, purees them and jars them. This is what I use)
1 can pinto beans (drain only 1/2 liquid)
1 can kidney beans (drain only 1/2 liquid)
Cook for 4 hours on high. Shred the chicken in the pot near the end of cooking. It will just fall apart and shred really easily.
Top with fresh avocado, crumbled corn chips and a drop of sour cream (if you can have dairy). I put this in the crock pot at 2pm and we eat it at 6pm. It's so simple and I just serve it with fruit or salad.
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