Bell Pepper Soup - Garden Fresh!

Now is the time to use some of those delish bell peppers from the garden, and some of your fresh herbs, before they wither away until next year. Try this soup - make some for tonight, and freeze some to share or enjoy another night!

Bell Pepper Soup
1 tbsp. evoo
3-6 bell peppers (green, yellow, red, orange, yellow - you pick), diced
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped, or 2 tsp. dried
2 tsp. dried oregano
64 oz. can tomato juice
4 c. water
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
small pasta shells or rice
1 recipe turkey meatballs (make them small)

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 2 min. Add peppers, and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, basil, parsley & oregano. Stir in tomato juice and water, bring to a boil, stir. To freeze: let cool completely, freeze.

To prepare: thaw soup in refrigerator, reheat. Add meatballs while reheating, and stir in al dente pasta just before serving. Could also use rice. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if you have it, and maybe little shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Asian-Inspired Slaw

I tried a recipe from the "try it eventually" folder last night for some Asian chicken sliders, and they were decent, but unremarkable. It was still a fruitful effort, however, because I found a super simple, tasty side to serve in the future (although the kids were not fans). I guestimated on the measurements, since I just chopped and added - do what looks right to you. I made about 1/2 of this recipe, since it was just for 2 of us, but you could easily multiply it for a larger crowd, too. Asian-Inspired Slaw 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 tbsp. EVOO 1/2 c. cilantro, minced pinch of kosher salt a few turns of freshly ground black pepper 2 c. red cabbage, shredded 1/2 c. carrot, julienned or grated on the large holes of a box grater 1/2 c. red onion, finely diced (could do thin slices if you prefer) 1/2 c. red bell pepper, julienned or diced You could get crazy here, and add some sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, minced jalapeno, garlic, etc. I'll be e...

Classic Hashbrown Casserole

This one is kind of a classic. I cleaned it up a little bit - you can adjust things to your liking. Hashbrown Casserole 1 16 oz. package frozen hashbrown potatoes (shredded or cubed - I prefer shredded) 3/4 - 1 c. sour cream (light works fine, and you can use less - depends on how creamy you like it) 1 recipe cream soup base 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted (you can use less or omit if you like) 1/2 medium onion, minced 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (save a little to sprinkle on top) 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. kosher salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick spray or butter. In a large bowl, combine ingredients, and stir to combine. Spread mixture in pan, and bake for about 30 minutes covered in foil, then uncover and cook about 15 minutes more or until hashbrowns are cooked, cheese is melted, and top begins to brown. To freeze: Pr epare ingredients as above, spread in prepared foil pan, cover tightly with fo...

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli! I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME). If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and chop...

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