Lentil Soup

Hearty lentil soup, chock full of veggies and very yummy. Serve with warm cornbread.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups dry lentils

• 8 cups water

• 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons vinegar

• salt to taste

• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.

2. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender.

3. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

4. Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes.

5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour.

6. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts.

7. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

Italian Butter Cookies

Traditional Italian-American bakery-style butter cookies that will make you feel like you bought them from your favorite local bakery in New York! Fill them with raspberry or apricot preserves, or chocolate, or dip one side in chocolate and cover with sprinkles--or do both!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

• 4 ounces almond paste

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Combine butter, sugar, and shortening in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in almond paste until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and almond extract. Reduce the mixing speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl once all dry ingredients are added, then mix on medium speed until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Fill a large piping bag with batter. Pipe evenly sized cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart, giving cookies space to puff slightly during baking.

5. Bake in the preheated oven, in batches if necessary, until bottom edges are slightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Crispy Potato Wedges

These make for a great side dish. They are spicy and crispy yet fluffy in the middle. They go with everything.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons paprika

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 large potatoes, cut into wedges

• 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• Step 2

  Mix paprika, olive oil, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl until marinade is smooth.

• Step 3

  Place potatoes in a baking dish; add marinade and rub into potatoes. Sprinkle bread crumbs over potatoes and coat each wedge well.

• Step 4

  Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 355 degrees F and continue cooking until wedges are tender enough to puncture with a fork, about 30 minutes more.

Simple Tomato Soup

This recipe is so easy and delicious. It's easily made vegan (if you use margarine instead of butter or 2 tablespoons of olive oil), ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed

• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, celery seed, and oregano.

3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.

5. Reheat soup until warm and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Taco Meatloaf

Here is a twist on a classic recipe for your next Taco Tuesday.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips

• ¾ cup shredded pepper Jack cheese

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix

• 2 eggs, beaten

• ½ cup milk

• ¼ cup mild red taco sauce, or more to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Thoroughly combine beef, tortilla chips, pepper Jack cheese, onion, and taco seasoning in a bowl.

3. Whisk eggs, milk, and taco sauce together in a separate bowl. Add to meat mixture and stir until well combined.

4. Press mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan and top with a strip of taco sauce down the center.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until cooked through and browned on top, 45 to 60 minutes.

Spicy Chickpea Soup with Kale

With cold weather crops coming on now, this recipe can use your fresh kale from the garden along with pantry staples.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 medium onion, minced

• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas - rinsed, drained, and lightly smashed

• 1 small bunch kale, chopped

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized pot until warm.

2. Add cumin seeds and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook and stir until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in chicken broth, chickpeas, and kale.

5. Bring soup to a simmer and cook until kale is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; stir in parsley.

6. Remove from heat; top with Parmesan cheese.