Lasagna Soup

Fall food is some of my very favorite food around.  Comforting, warm, and filling.  This soup is so full of the classic goodness of lasagna, complete with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.  Without all of the fuss of a classic lasagna.

8 oz small shaped pasta such as small shells, bowties, or elbows, cooked according to package directions, drained and set aside.

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lbs. Italian sausage, casing removed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

6 c. chicken broth

1 twenty-eight oz can fired roasted diced tomatoes

1 c. shredded zucchini

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 c. shredded mozzarealla cheese

1/4 c. fresh basil chiffonade, optional, for garnish

8 oz. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese 

salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a small bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan and salt and pepper, set aside.

2.  Heat oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add the sausage, cook and crumble until no longer pink.  Drain off excess fat drippings.  Add the garlic, onions, oregano and pepper flakes.  Cook stirring frequently until onions are cooked.  Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute until combined.  

3.  Stir in the stock, tomatoes zucchini, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.  Stir in pasta.  Remove bay leaves.  Serve immediately with a heaping spoonful of the ricotta mixture.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and basil.

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

This recipe was given to me by my good friend Lindsay.  
I really love ribs.  These are flavorful, tender, fall off the bone, saucy, awesomeness.  They are easy to make in that the cooking is done in the slow cooker then the ribs are place under the broiler to get the sauce nice and sticky-toasty the way ribs on the grill would be.  
So Yummy!

2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. black pepper (I used less since my older son is a heat-wimp)
2 tsp. garlic powder

1 medium red onion
1/2 c. carbonated cola
2 slabs pork baby back ribs (about 4 lbs. total), rinsed, patter dry and trimmed
1 c. purchased barbecue sauce

1.  Combine the brown sugar, salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper and garlic powder for the rub in a small bowl.  Thoroughly coat ribs with the rub, using all of the mixture.
2.  Add onion and cola to a 4-6 quart slow cooker.  Place ribs on top, cutting to fit if necessary.  Cover; cook until ribs are tender, on high heat setting for 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 hours or on low-heat setting for 6-7 hours.
3.  Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 6-8 inches from the heating element.  Transfer ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet; brush ribs with sauce.  Broil ribs until sauce caramelizes, about 5 minutes.

Pork Carnitas

You know me: I love to eat pig. 
I had 4 lbs. of pork loin in the freezer and decided to try a new to me pork recipe.  I found this one and it sounded really tasty.  And it was really good !  It makes a lot of meat, far more than the stated 6-8 servings.  But I used this for several days as tacos, enchiladas, and in rice bowls; I took the rest and put it in the freezer for later use.  This recipe is a keeper.
Here is the link to the site where I found this recipe.

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. pork loin roast
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules or 1 cube crushed
dash salt
dash pepper
1/2 c. orange juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, optional

1.  In a dry skillet, sear all sides of the roast until brown.  Set aside.
2.  In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, bouillon, salt and pepper.  use the mixture to coat all sides of the seared roast.
3.  Place roast in a slow cooker and cover with any of the brown sugar/spice mixture.
4.  Add the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, and cilantro to the bottom of the slow cooker.
5.  Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
6.  Remove roast and shred.  Place shredded roast back in slow cooker to absorb cooking juices.
7.  Serve meat in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or enchiladas.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Pork and Black Bean Chili

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  I am indeed writing about a recipe where beans (dread) are one of the primary ingredients.  I have made this, eaten this, and liked this (shock of the year, yes).  To be accurate, I was sure to include as few beans as possible in my bowl, but some indeed made it into my mouth and were swallowed without even so much as a shudder. 
This was especially good a few days later in quesadilla's, with guacamole on top, near perfection.

1 lbs. pork tenderloin, cut into 1" chunks
16 oz. jar thick and chunky salsa (of your heat preference)
2 fifteen-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
2-3 tsp. chili powder
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 c. sour cream

1.  Combine all ingredients except sour cream in a 4-quart slow cooker.
2.  Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or until pork is tender.
3.  Garnish individual servings with sour cream

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches

I made these for Adam's birthday, because he loves sausage and peppers.  I served them on Garlic Hoagie Rolls, and they were a hit with the whole family.

1 1/2 lbs. dinner sausage of your choice (you can use 3/4 pounds each of two different flavors/heat levels)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 Anaheim chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to tasted
2 or 3 pepperoncini finely chopped + 2 or 3 Tbsp. juice from the pepperoncini jar

4 sandwich rolls
3 Tbsp. butter
garlic salt

1.  Place the sausage in a large nonstick skillet.  Pierce the casings with a fork.  Add 1-inch of water to the pan.  Bring liquid to a boil.  Cover pan with a lid, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

2.  Heat a second skillet over medium heat.  Add oil, garlic, onions, Anaheim chili, and red pepper, season with salt and pepper.  Cook veggies until tender-crisp.  Drain sausages and return pan to the stove, raise the heat to medium high.  Brown and crispt the casings.  Remove sausage from the pan, slice into 2" pieces on an angle, return to the pan to sear.

3.  Combine the cooked peppers and onoins to the sausages.  Add pepperoncinis and juice to the skillet.  Toss and turn the sausage, peppers and onion. 

4.  Split the sandwich rolls, spread with butter and spinkle with garlic salt.  Toast under the broiler until golden brown.  Pile the meat and peppers in to the garlic rolls and serve.

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ham and Spinach Quiche

Adam said this is the best quiche he's ever had.  I thought it was tastey too.  The kids were not the biggest fans, but ate it anyway.  They also don't love pie (whose kids are these anyway?!), so maybe I shouldn't have told them it was egg pie, I might have ruined the experience before it even began.
I didn't have a deep dish pie crust, so I made 2 regular 9" pies.

1/2 c. butter
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (4.5 oz) can mushrooms, drained
1 (6 oz) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled
1 (8 oz) package shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
1 c. chopped ham
4 eggs
1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.  Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta, ham and 1/2 c. cheddar cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon into pie crust.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.  Pour into pie crust, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center.  Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pulled Pork

Pork is my go-to meat, I love it in all it’s varieties.
A very versatile recipe.
I buy the pork shoulder at Costco, it comes two shoulders per pack, I freeze one and use the other for this recipe (be sure to trim as much of the fat off as possible). After I shred the meat, I use as much as I need for dinner that night, then divide the rest up into meal sized bags then put them in the freezer, I can pull them out and use them for a quick dinner. I love serving this pork over rice with teriyaki glaze over the top, with pineapple and peas on the side it makes a great dinner. Or if you are in a pinch, use the meat for barbeque pulled pork sandwiches: mix the cooked meat with enough barbecue sauce to coat then serve on hamburger buns. It’s very good.

1 six pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1 medium onion very finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, mined
3 Tbsp. Montreal Seasoning blend

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Place meat in a roasting bag, rub one side of the meat with half of the minced garlic. Sprinkle with seasoning blend and chopped onion. Turn roast over and treat in the same manner. Seal bag and puncture 4 to 5 times with knife. Transfer to a roasting pan or large baking pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes at 450°. After time is up, drop the heat to 300°; roast the meat for 5 to 6 more hours. Remove from oven and shred meat using 2 forks.

Kielbasa with Pasta

1 lbs. smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage
½ c. chopped green pepper
¼ c. chopped onion
½ tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) diced tomatoes
1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated angel hair pasta
½ c. grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. butter melted

1. In a large skillet, sauté the kielbasa, green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until sausage is lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir in parmesan cheese and butter. Serve with kielbasa mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

Hot Pastrami Sandwich

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, it can be a messy sandwich to eat, but is worth it.

1 lbs. sliced pastrami
½ lbs. deli roast beef
¼ lbs. baby Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1 large purple onion, sliced
¾ c. red wine vinegar
1 ½ c. sugar
1 green bell pepper, sliced into rings
1 loaf French bread (or you can use 6 single serving hoagie type rolls)
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. mustard
Butter
Parmesan Cheese

1. Place the onion and bell pepper into a medium bowl. Mix with the vinegar and half of the sugar. When it starts to thicken add the rest of the sugar. Let stand in refrigerator until caramelized.
2. Slice the bread in half lengthwise, on one half of the bread butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
3. Heat the meat in the microwave and place on the opposite half of the bread. Top with Swiss cheese and onions/peppers. Broil both halves until cheese melts and butter side is toasted. Spread with mayonnaise and mustard. Put the halves together and slice to serve.

Chicken-Sausage Gumbo

This makes a lot of gumbo. It’s not at all spicy, you could bump up the heat if you wanted by sprinkling in some red pepper flakes. Replacing the chicken with cooked shrimp would be a good change if you like seafood.

½ lbs. smoked sausage, cut into ½ inch thick slices
1 to 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
5 Tbsp. flour
1 c. coarsely chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
2 c. chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 to 2 tsp. Creole seasoning
4 c. chopped cooked chicken
Hot cooked rice

1. Cook sausage over high heat in large pot, five minutes, stirring often. Remove sausage with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.
2. Add enough oil to dripping to pot to equal 3 Tbsp, and whisk in flour; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes.
3. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in brother, tomatoes, and seasoning. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add sausage and chicken; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
5. Serve over rice.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Aunt Jenny's Yummy Pork Ribs

This was given to my by Ashlee for our dinner exchange group and they are fall off the bone good

1 Rack of pork ribs
½ c. olive oil
¾ - 1 cup of white balsamic vinegar
2 sliced onions – slice thin
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
Heavy Duty tin foil


1. Preheat oven to 450°. Seal 2 long pieces of heavy duty foil together to make a really wide sheet (by folding the edges together multiple times.)
2. Place the foil in a flat baking pan or casserole that will hold the ribs. Place the ribs on the foil. Pour the olive oil, balsamic vinegar over the ribs. Put all of the other ingredients on top of the ribs. Seal the foil as leak-proof as you can.
3. Put in the preheated oven. After 15 minutes turn oven down to 250, and let them cook for 2-3 hours. Take out of oven and drain all the juices, onions and garlic off and put on a hot grill until they are crisp and golden brown (they won’t need to be on the grill long because they are already falling off the bones). Brush with barbeque sauce if desired.

Slow Cooked Pork Burrito Bowls

2 lbs. pork boneless shoulder roast
1 can (15 to 16 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 envelope (1.25 oz) taco seasoning
1 can (4.5 oz) diced green chilies, undrained
2 pkg (7.6 oz each) Spanish rice mix
5 c. water
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 3/4 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 1/4 c. shredded lettuce
3/4 c. salsa

1. If pork comes in netting or is tied, remove netting or strings. In 3 to 4 quart slow cooker, place pork. Pour beans around pork. Sprinkle dry taco seasoning mix over pork. Pour green chilies over beans.
2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.
3. About 45 minutes before serving, in 3 quart saucepan, make rice mixes as directed on package, using water and butter.
4. Remove pork from cooker; place on cutting board. use 2 forks to pull pork into shreds. Return pork to cooker; gently stir to mix with beans.
5. To serve, spoon about 1 c. rice into each serving bowl, top with 1/2 c. pork mixture, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. lettuce and about 1 Tbsp. salsa.

Greek Pork Loin

3 lbs. pork loin roast
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. seasoned salt
½ tsp. black pepper
6 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. honey

1. Combine all the ingredients besides the roast in a resealable plastic bag and mix well. Add roast, turning to coat. Place in refrigerator to marinate over night.
2. Place roast in a slow-cooker, pour marinade plus ½ c. chicken stock and 2 Tbsp. water over the roast, cook on low 5 ½ - 6 hours. After removing from the cooker allow to rest for several minutes for easier slicing.