Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

I really like the recipe I have for Split Pea Soup, but I am not as much of a fan when I leave out the ham.  Since I limit how much meat I eat, I'm always looking for options that are meatless.  I saw this recipe and decided to try it, and I loved it! 

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups vegetable broth

1 cup dried split peas

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle chile pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet, saute onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes.

2. Place vegetables, vegetable broth, peas, thyme, chile pepper, salt and pepper in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, simmer for a couple of hours or until peas are soft.

3. I used an immersion blender to purree most of it, you could use a blender or you could choose to leave it chunky.

Taco Filled Pasta Shells

(makes 2 meals)

2 lbs ground beef
2 envelopes taco seasoning
1 pkg cream cheese, cubed
30 jumbo pasta shells
¼ cup butter, melted
2 cups salsa
2 cups taco sauce

Additional Ingredients (for each casserole)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 ½ cups crushed tortilla chips
Sour Cream
Chopped green onions

Cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning; prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese; cook and stir for 5-10 minutes or until melted. Transfer to a bowl; chill for one hour.

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Gently toss with butter. Fill each shell with about 3 Tablespoons of meat mixture.

Spoon 1 cup salsa into each greased baking dish. Top with 15 stuffed shells and 1 cup taco sauce each pan. Cover one and freeze for up to 3 months. Cover the remaining dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheeses and chips. Bake 15 more minutes or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and onions.

To prepare frozen shells: Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours (shells will be partially frozen). Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle cheese and chips. Bake 15 more minutes or until heated through.

**Update**  I made this again, but this time in vegetarian form by substituting black beans for the beef.  It was delicious and everyone loved it again.  Both of my girls asked for me to make it again.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

This is a total revamp of my Cheeseburger turned Cheesy Vegetable Soup, now turned Creamy. lol  I'll be honest, the original tastes the best, but this really tasted good, too and with so much less fat and calories.  Try it out!

Pam
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
 cup sliced celery
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1 T. dried parsley flakes
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups chopped potato (I used red)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 cup milk (1 %)
1 1/2 cups grated colby jack cheese
1/4 cups greek yogurt, plain (replaces sour cream in original recipe)

Spray Pam in the bottom of a large pot, cook onions, bell pepper, celery, carrots, and parsley.  When vegetables are soft, add broth, potatos, and most of the corn.  When potatoes are done, use an immersion blender to blend most of the soup - to desired consistency.  Add remaining corn (I like having some of the kernels whole, you could just add it all before using the blender.), milk, and cheese.  Season to taste (I used black pepper, garlic salt, and some cayenne pepper.).  Add greek yogurt and stir until blended.  Serve with saltine crackers, if desired.

Makes about 8 cups (about 4 adult servings)

Nutritional info per 1 cup: 165.2 calories, 2.2g total fat, 27.7g carbs, and 9.9g protien.

Stir-fry

Stir-fry is great because it is so easy and you can totally tweak the ingredients according to your taste or what you've got on hand.  I made a stir-fry tonight that was so yummy that I HAD to have seconds.  Thankfully, it's pretty healthy too, so that was okay!

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. light olive oil
4-5 Tbsp. Stir-fry sauce
Black pepper to taste

Heat oil; add onion, pepper, and celery.   Cook for 5 minutes or so, add zucchini and stir-fry sauce.  Season with black pepper.  Cook for 3-5 minutes more.  Serve over rice. 

I use parboiled rice because it is much healthier than white rice but tastes exactly the same so no one even notices; it would be even better to serve with brown rice. 

Easy Taco Casserole

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or you could use 1 pound ground hamburger, browned)
1 cup salsa
1 pkg. taco seasonings
1/2 - 3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes

Heat beans (or cook hamburger), add salsa, taco seasoning, and sour cream.  Put half of the bean mixture in an ungreased baking dish.  Layer with half the cheese and half the chips.  Repeat.  Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Top with lettuce and tomatoes.

Slow Cooker Pesto Spinach Lasagna

I went to my kids' back-to-school last night and they actually served us DINNER. Sweet! There were two choices of lasagna available - meat (regular) and vegetarian. I had the vegetarian and it was so delicious, I woke up wanting more this morning!

I've been reading a blog called A Year of Slow Cooking for a long time and appreciate her fun instructions and honest evaluations of the recipes she tries. It's a fun blog to read, even if you never try a recipe.

I read her latest entry today, and it was a recipe for this lasagna in the crock pot. Score!

I'm linking to it here, not only for this recipe, but for the other vegetarian-friendly crock pot recipe links she added to the end of the post. She also has a "vegetarian" category of recipes. Score again!

Tortilla Salad

Marilyn Beckstrand brought this to a Relief Society activity a couple of months ago.  She gave me the recipe right away but I was VERY slow getting it up... I'm sorry!  But here it is... and trust me, it is GOOD!!!

Tortilla Salad

1 ½ packages curly pasta
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 red onion, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 can sliced olives
2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups buttermilk
1 package fiesta ranch dip
Tortilla chips
Cheese, diced
Tomato, diced
Avocado, diced

Cook and drain noodles. Mix beans, noodles, corn, onion and olives together Combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, and dip mix. Add to bean mixture. Line dish with tortilla chips. Add bean and mayonnaise mixture. Top with diced cheese, tomato, and avocado.

Serves 20.

*Taco seasoning mix and plain ranch dip can be used as substitute for fiesta dip mix.


From Marilyn:  I probably had less noodles than the recipe calls for, I didn't measure them. I also had a very large pepper and onion so didn't use all of them. Also I cut the dressing in half. I don't put the chips in the salad either.  (They were sprinkled on top.)  The recipe isn't too clear on the amounts, Sorry, you will just have to experiment to get it to your liking!

Black Bean Soup

I made this the other night and we loved it! But I have to warn you, it doesn't LOOK very good. Looks can be deceiving though, VERY deceiving. ;)

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup salsa
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend beans, broth, and salsa until smooth. Add to sauce pan, add spices, bring to boil.

**I added some shredded cheese while it was boiling and served it with tortilla chips, sour cream, and green onions.

Taco Pasta Casserole

This was really easy and is a recipe that can easily be modified to fit your family's tastes.

1 small onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar salsa, 16 oz.
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (or one can, drained)
4 cups cooked macaroni (perfect for leftover pasta)
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook onion in pan with nonstick spray until tender. Add beans, salsa, corn, and pasta. Pour into baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Top with cheese and chips. Bake 20 minutes.

*For non-vegetarian option, add or susbtitute ground beef for beans.

Easy Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

1 can refried beans
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup shredded cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 large can enchilada sauce, divided
Corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped olives
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix refried beans, rice, onions, and half of the cheese. Add about 1 cup of the enchilada sauce (to taste). Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of can. Warm tortillas in microwave. Fill tortillas with bean mixture, roll, and place in pan. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, olives, and green onions.

Bake for 20 minutes.

*I have not tried freezing this yet, but I think it would be a good freezer meal. If I try freezing it, I will come back to add the label.

Mexican Casserole

2 cups cooked rice
1 can diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 can corn, drained
4 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 can chili beans
2-3 cups shredded cheese, divided
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
chili powder, garlic salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, combine cooked rice, diced tomatoes, and corn. Set aside.

Cover baking dish bottom with tortilla chips, layer half the cheese over the crushed chips, top with chili beans, and then the rice-tomato-corn mixture. Sprinkle with seasonings, top with remaining cheese and green onions.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup

Acadia had a friend over tonight and they both had seconds of this. The friend says I NEED to give her mom this recipe! lol

1 box wild rice mix, prepared
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup flour
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
4 cups water
1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
2 cups (8 oz) cubed process American cheese (Velveeta)
12 oz bag frozen broccoli and cauliflower, steamed

In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in flour and salt. Gradually stir in water and broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Stir in wild rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the milk, cheese, and broccoli and cauliflower; cook and stir until heated through and cheese is melted.

Black Bean and Corn Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 ½ cups (4 cans) black beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups vegetable broth
3 cups frozen corn
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce, to serve

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic. Cook until soft. Stir in cumin and oregano, tomatoes, beans, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Puree about one-third of the soup in the pot with an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor, then return to the pot. Add the corn, and simmer uncovered, for 10 minutes to heat through and blend flavors.

Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve with hot sauce on the side.

***I didn’t have Tabasco sauce on hand *gasp*, so I just added some cayenne pepper to the soup before serving. We also feel that you MUST serve this soup with saltine crackers. It was delicious!!! And I loved it even more as leftovers the next day – YUM!

Chili Cheddar Penne

1 box whole wheat penne pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 taco seasonings package
½ tsp salt
2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the cheese, taco seasoning and salt. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Drain pasta; stir into cheese sauce. Add corn, tomatoes, and chilies. Cook and stir until heated through.

** It is spicy but very tasty. Acadia LOVED it!

*** I might try adding black beans to this next time.

Layered Mexican Casserole

Susan Bower shared the original recipe with me, I adapted it to suit my family's taste and needs.

1 can refried beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained**
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
6-8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
1 box Spanish rice, prepared
1 cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

Mix 1 cup salsa with refried beans, mix remaining salsa with black beans. Line baking dish with 3-4 tortillas, overlapping to fit. Spread refried bean mixture over tortillas, evenly. Top with half the black bean mixure and half the cheese. Layer 3-4 more tortillas over cheese. Spoon and spread Spanish rice over tortillas. Top with remaining black bean mixture and cheese. Top with crushed chips.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until hot in center and bubbling along sides.

**Original recipe called for 1 lb cook ground beef instead of black beans.

*** I plan on adding black olives to this recipe next time.

****I have not tried freezing yet so I'm not labeling it as a freezer meal, but I bet it would work. If I try it, I'll come back to update the label.

Black Bean Soup

I made this for dinner tonight and we really liked it when served with tortilla chips. We kind of ate it like a dip. I think I'd also consider serving it topped with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Black Bean Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
4 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp groud cayenne
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Add broth, beans, thyme, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the soup has thickened, about 45 minutes.

Puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, and return to the pot. Reheat if necessary.

Ladle soup in bowls and garnish with parsley.

The original recipe says to serve 1/3 cup dry sherry on the side and add a splash to each bowl, if desired. Needless to say, we didn't do that. lol

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup flour
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 small hot or jalapeno pepper, minced (I used jalapeno)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium red pepper, diced
2 cups cooked or canned black beans, mashed (I used cooked)
1/2 cup corn niblets
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp parsley, minced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. On a small plate, set aside flour for coating. In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, oregano, and hot peppers in oil on medium-high heat until the onions are translucent. Add the peppers and sauté another 2 minutes, until pepper is tender. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the vegetables (including the corn), breadcrumbs, cumin, salt, chili powder, and parsley. Mix well. Divide and shape into 6 patties.

3. Lay down each patty in flour, coating each side. Cook on a lightly oiled frying pan on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or until browned on both sides.

Makes 6 patties.

***These are very filling! I served them on whole wheat hamburger buns, topped with lettuce and a little salsa. I didn't think they were especially spicy the way I made them, but then that was probably a good thing because my girls don't like spicy as much as I do. ;)

Mexican Fideo Soup with Pinto Beans

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces fideo, vermicelli, or angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 oz) can chopped hot or mild green chiles
1 tsp ground cummin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
6 cups vegetable broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove the onion mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat, add the noodles, and cook until golden, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn the noodles.

Stir in the tomatoes, beans, chiles, cumin, oregano, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the onion mixture ad simmer until the noodles are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with cilantro if desired, and serve.

**I used thin spaghetti for the pasta and found that 8 ounces was too much. As the soup sat, it soaked up all of the liquid. It still tasted great, but was more of a pasta dish than a soup. I think next time I'll use about half. (I used thin spaghetti because I could get it in whole wheat.)

***I didn't have canned chiles so I just put in a couple tablespoons of canned jalepenos instead. I think when it comes to the chiles, you can add whatever you like to get the heat you want.

Potato Enchiladas

2 tablespoons canola oil
6 potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese,melted
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup frozen corn,thawed
12 (8 inch) flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook the shredded potatoes until golden brown on both sides. In a small bowl combine the melted processed cheese with the diced tomatoes with chiles.
2. Stir in half of the peas and half of the corn, and mash them into the hash browns. When well combined, add the remaining peas and corn; continue mashing to combine. Stir in about 1 cup of the cheese and tomato mixture and mix well. Cook for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
3. Spoon the potato mixture into the tortillas and roll like a burrito. Smother with cheese/tomato mixture. Bake 20 minutes.

Refried Bean and Salsa Quesadillas

1 Tbsp canola oil, plus more for frying
1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 can pinto beans, drained and mashed
1 tsp chili powder
4 flour tortillas
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup minced red onion (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mashed beans and chili powder and cook, stirring, until hot, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the beans across the bottom half of a tortilla. Top the beans with salsa and onion. Fold top half of the tortilla over the filling and press slightly.

In large skillet heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat. Place folded quesadillas, 1 or 2 at a time, into the hot skillet and heat until hot, turning once, about 1 minute per side.

Cut quesadillas into 3 or 4 wedges and serve immediately.

*If in a hurry, you can use canned refried beans instead of the pinto beans and chili powder, and just skip the first step.