Tasty and Easy Recipes

Ingredients:
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
7 cups water
4 medium carrots, pared and sliced
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
6 beef bullion cubes
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 cups zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup elbow macaroni

Method:
In a large kettle, brown sausage, onion, and garlic; drain off fat.
Add water, carrots, tomatoes, bouillon cubes, Italian seasoning, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Add zucchini, garbanzo beans, and macaroni. Cover; cook 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender.

Ingredients:
1 bag yellow split peas, sorted and rinsed
1 to 2 large onions, (or more if you like, sometimes I add leeks as well) diced (or chopped)
3 to 6 carrots, peeled and sliced (or chopped)
2 to 4 parsnips, peeled and sliced (or chopped)
1 to 2 ribs celery, sliced (or chopped)
1 handful fresh dill, chopped
2 bay leaves
a few sprigs rosemary
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Soup bones, or soup meat (optional, I leave this out and make it for dairy meals all the time)
2 cups small pasta (optional) (orzo, alphabet noodles, or other small pasta)
Water

Method:
Fill your soup pot with water 2/3 of the way full. Bring water to a boil. Add the split peas, bones, vegetables, and seasoning (I only add salt at the very end, in fact I often don’t use any salt in this soup). Reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer until peas are soft and soup is the thickness you like (it usually takes 1 to 2 hours). If desired, add the pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
12 ounces lean ground beef or lean ground lamb
1 small fennel bulb, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup orzo pasta
4 cups shredded escarole, curly endive, and/or spinach

Method:
In large saucepan cook beef, fennel, onion, and garlic, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are nearly tender, stirring occasionally. Drain fat, if necessary.
Add broth, water, oregano, bay leaves, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Reserve for garnish, if desired.
Stir in orzo. Return to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Boil gently, uncovered, 10 minutes or until pasta is just tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in escarole.
To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls. Top with reserved bay leaves.