Taco Soup

I got this idea from clstar on my cooking site I didnt have the ingredients, so i took the general idea and went with it. I will post my recipe, and the orginal. It was really good though. Great for a chilly day!
My version:
1/2lb Beef Stew meat
2 cans no salt added diced tomatos
4 Cups pinto, kidney, Black beans (i had some dried beans, it was about 1 cup of each i put in pot to soak)
4T chili powder
2tsp sumin
2tsp corriander
1tsp oregano
1/2tsp cayenne pepper
1/2tsp onion powder
1/2tsp garlic powder
2 1/2C frozen corn
1C water
15 oz crushed concentrated tomatos
Put everything in crockpot on low til meat is tender (6-8 hrs)

Orginal Recipe
Taco Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (we sometimes use ground turkey)
2 packs taco seasoning
1 pack ranch dressing mix
1 can black beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 can whole kernel white corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes (you can use another can of Rotel if you want a little more heat)cheese, sour cream, green onions and tortilla chips for garnish
Directions:
-In a large pot, add all of the canned ingredients (don't drain them).-Add one pack of taco seasoning and the ranch dressing mix. Set pot over medium-low heat. -Meanwhile, brown the ground beef (or turkey) and follow the directions on the taco seasoning pack.-Once the meat is browned and seasoning added, place the meat in the pot. Add a little water if you want to thin it out some. Don't worry, it won't take away from any of the flavor.-Bring to a boil and the reduce to medium-low.-Let simmer for thirty minutes or longer (or until you can't handle the delicious aroma coming from your kitchen and finally have to break down and eat some).-Serve with cheese, sour cream, green onions and tortilla chips (we love the blue corn ones).-Enjoy!

black bean n pumpkin chili

I found this recipe in the Taste Of Home Oct/Nov 08 Magazine it was really good. A big sweet, i think that is because I used pumpkin pie instead if pure pumpkin. But it was still good.


1 med onion, chopped
1 med sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3T Olive Oil
3C chicken broth (low sodium vegetable broth)
2Cans black bean rinsed and drained (dried beans)
2 1/2C cubed cooked turkey (1/2lb ground turkey)
1Can solid pack pumpkin pure pumpkin, not pie mix
1Can diced tomatos UNdrained (no salt added)
3tsp dried parsley
2tsp Chili powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Salt (omitted)

In lrg skillet saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5 qt slow cooker, stir in remaining ingredients.
cover and cook on low for 4-5hrs or until heated thru.
10 Servings (2 1/2qts)

192 calories, 5g fat, 28mg cholesterol, 658mg sodium, 23g carbs, 7g fiber, 16g protien, Diabetic exchanges 2 very lean meat, 1-1/2 Starch, 1/2 fat

Pasta Fagioli Soup

I got this recipe from Brown Eyed Bakers blog aka Chelly This soup is really good and makes a lot so you have plenty to freeze for work day lunchs or a cold rainy day.
I got this recipe recently in a recipe exchange, as a Rachel Ray Recipe, I will post her recipe at the end of this blog post so you can choose between hers or Chelly's recipe. Both look very good.




2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 package sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (i used Al Fresco Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage)
½ large (or 1 medium) onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, thinly sliced
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes (used no salt added)
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
64 oz. beef broth (used some veggie and some chicken, both low sodium)
28 oz. can tomato sauce (no salt added)
2 teaspoons dried parsley (I used 1Tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (1/2T itlian seasoning, didnt have any basil)
1 teaspoon salt (omitted)
4 oz. small dry pasta (I used elbow)


1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large stockpot over medium high heat, and brown the sausage, crumbling it as it cooks. Once brown, remove sausage from pot with a slotted spoon and discard any grease that remains in the pot.
2. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the same pot, and add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and saute over medium heat until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add sausage back to the pot, add the can of diced tomatoes (do not drain), stir briefly, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the beans, and add the beef broth and tomato sauce. Add in all of the seasonings, stir well, turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it boils, turn down to low heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Add the dry pasta and continue to simmer on low for another 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite bread or crackers.


Pasta e Fagioli ~ Rachel Ray
Yields 6 big servings
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 pound (about 3 slices) pancetta, chopped
2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact
1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact
1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped (I usually omit this as small portions of celery are hard to come by and I don't eat the whole head if I buy it!)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
Coarse salt and pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 cups ditalini
Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for the table
Crusty bread, for mopping
Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, and add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.

Spicy Ham and Bean Soup

Another Soup I found on Cookinglight.com yesterday to make for the freezer. I only put a half a jalapeno in it b/c i didn't want it too hot. But i have to say, this soup is 10 times better than the stuff in a can. I Cut the bone out of the ham and just threw it in there. I did use a low sodium ham, and the soup was/is very good!

Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

We just got a little freezer so i wanted to make some soups to go in it to replace canned soup. I Found this recipe and it looked really good. I got it from Cookinglight.com

I used left over chicken (2 Breasts) that i cooked the day before in the crock pot with Lawrys Mexican chile and lime marinade and a small amount of water.

three bean chili with Vegetables.

This is the second time i have made this recipe, I will have to admit it was better the 1st time. but all well still good. I got the recipe from cooking light
I just take all the ingrediants and throw it in the crock pot and just let it warm up, on low only takes a couple of hours. I dont believe that i drained the beans the first time around and didn't add very much water this time i drained the beans and it didnt taste as good. I use fresh tomatoes unstead of canned tomatoes. I dont measure my veggies I just put more of my favorites in. Hope you like it...