Ground Turkey Minestrone

I clipped this recipe out of the newspaper years ago. It has yellowed with time and I have no idea whether it is from the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post, or from some other place where we have lived. Needless to say, it's a keeper with my family.

Ground Turkey Minestrone

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans beef broth (I use beef bouillon cubes and water.)
1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
1 cup macaroni
1 medium-size zucchini, sliced (I often omit this just because I don't have one on hand.)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a soup pot, add the onion and garlic and saute for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a fork; cook until it is no longer pink.

Add the broth and tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with a fork. Bring to a boil and add the macaroni. Reduce the heat and simmer until macaroni is almost tender.

Add the zucchini, mixed vegetables, kidney beans, oregano and basil. Stir to mix well, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

For some reason I was quite surprised that this was an uncooked (raw) tomato sauce, but oh, my goodness, it is fabulous! This is a great way to use up the last of your summer tomatoes. The recipe is from Martha Stewart. You can print it here.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 1/4 pounds unrefrigerated ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (from 2 garlic cloves)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound spaghetti
grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Finely chop tomatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic, and mix together with oil (or pulse ingredients, including oil, in a food processor to blend.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, and toss it in a serving bowl with the raw sauce. Serve with cheese.

Spicy Beans with Coconut Milk

I clipped this recipe out of Southern Living years ago. It was submitted by Judy Johnson of Birmingham, Alabama. The coconut milk, lime, and curry paste give it a tangy delicious flavor. You can print the recipe here.

Spicy Beans with Coconut Milk

1 sweet onion, chopped
Vegetable cooking spray (I just use Canola Oil.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste (depending on how spicy you like it)
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (13.5-ounce) can lite coconut milk (I always use regular coconut milk.)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups hot cooked basmati or long grain rice

Toppings: 2 green onions, chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Saute chopped onion over medium-high heat 5 minutes; add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add red curry paste; saute 1 minute. Stir in kidney beans, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and next 4 ingredients.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Serve over basmati rice, and sprinkle with topppings, if desired.

Julie's Note: I use Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste.

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Oh boy! This is a deliciously fantastic way to use your summer tomatoes. They almost taste like crustless mini pizzas. I originally "pinned" this recipe, but it comes from EatingWell. You can print it here.

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

4 tomatoes, halved horizontally (I cut them into at least fourths horizontally.)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450˚ F.

Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.



  

  

Tomato-Chicken Salad

This salad is perfect for late summer when all the vegetables and herbs are fresh from the garden. It was a big hit with my family--definitely a keeper. I found the recipe in Southern Living last year. You can print it here.

Tomato-Chicken Salad

Preheat grill to 400˚ to 450˚ (high) heat. Rub 6 (1-inch-thick) ciabatta or French bead baguette slices with a garlic clove; brush with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until toasted.

1 lemon
2 lb. assorted tomatoes, halved or chopped
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large English cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Grate zest from lemon to equal 2 tsp.; squeeze juice from lemon to equal 2 Tbsp. Combine lemon zest, juice, tomatoes, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Toss with crumbled feta just before serving.

Julie's Note: I toasted the ciabatta in the oven for a few minutes rather than on the grill.



  

Beef and Lime Rice Salad

This is a delicious summer main dish salad. The recipe was printed in Southern Living magazine years ago and was submitted by Tamy White of Hartwell, Georgia. I use a rice cooker for my rice so the procedure is modified slightly. You can print the original recipe here.

Beef and Lime Rice Salad

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups long grain rice (I cook this in my rice cooker.)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Toppings: salsa, shredded Cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, avocado slices

Cook rice in rice cooker until done.

Cook beef in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until it is no longer pink. Stir in salt, cumin, lime rind, lime juice and cooked rice.

Eat right away or chill and serve cold. Serve with desired toppings.

Pasta with Beans

I cut this recipe out of Southern Living years ago. It was submitted by Karen C. Greenlee of Lawrenceville, Georgia. It's a nice meatless meal, and I love it.

Pasta with Beans

1 (15-ounce) can tomatoes, undrained
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. Chop tomatoes.

Saute onion and next 5 ingredients in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, reserved liquid, salt, pepper, and if desired, sugar. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in beans; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Toss cooked macaroni with butter; top with bean mixture, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with French bread. Garnish, if desired.

Yields: 4 servings

Julie's Notes:  I successfully found this recipe online. It's from October 1999 Southern Living. You can print it here.

Tortellini Soup

I've had this recipe for years--ever since Brian's graduate school days at U.C. Berkeley. It is definitely a family favorite (although Travis always removes the kidney beans.)

Tortellini Soup

1 8-oz package cheese tortellini

2-3 tablespoons butter

2 medium cloves garlic

2-3 cups celery (chopped)

2-3 cups onion (chopped)

4 cups chicken broth

1 can (15 oz) navy beans, kidney beans, or garbanzos (undrained)

1 can (15 oz) stewed tomatoes (undrained)

1 6-oz can V8 Juice

1/4 cup ketchup

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot cook garlic in butter until browned. Add celery and onion and cook these until tender. Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Add V8 juice and ketchup for flavor and color. Stir in tortellini and simmer until pasta is cooked.

Makes 10-12 cups of soup.

Julie's Notes: I often add more tortellini, another can of tomatoes, and more broth, depending on how many people are eating.

Creamy Tomato Soup

I had never made tomato soup before my friend, Jenny, a self-described "food snob" (this I say most affectionately) asked me to make this recipe for a women's meeting at my church. For some reason I thought homemade tomato soup could only be made with fresh tomatoes which involved blanching, etc. I was wrong. This soup is so easy and so fabulously delicious. We've had it several times in the last couple months. I especially love adding the cooked orzo pasta. Thanks, Jenny!

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 large can tomato juice (about 1 quart)

1 8-oz Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. basil

3 cloves garlic

1 onion

3 tbsp. butter

1 can diced tomatoes or 2 medium diced tomatoes

1 cup orzo pasta, cooked (optional)

Heat tomato juice and cream cheese in a pot on medium. Cook chopped onion and garlic in butter in frying pan until onions are clear and soft (but not too long). Add to tomato soup when done, along with spices. As soon as cream cheese is melted and blended with soup, add chicken stock and tomatoes. Heat through. At this point you can use an immersion blender for a smoother consistency. Stir in cooked orzo pasta and serve.

Sally's Stoneless Stone Soup

This recipe is included in the instructions for the fun family game Stone Soup by Gamewright. My daughter, Rachel, was inspired one day to give it a try. It is delicious and definitely a family favorite!

Sally's Stoneless Stone Soup

1/2-1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage (or a combination), taken out of casing and crumbled
1 Spanish onion, chopped (I used a sweet onion.)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 4.)
5 carrots, quartered lengthwise and chopped
2 celery stalks, quartered lengthwise and chopped
1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cored and chopped (I used regular cabbage.)
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (I used undrained diced tomatoes.)
2 red new potatoes, cubed and cooked (I used 3-4 regular potatoes.)
7-8 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen or fresh green peas (I forgot the peas this time.)
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
grated Parmesan cheese

Place a 6-quart pot over medium high heat and when it is hot, add the crumbled sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat begins to render. Discard excess fat.

Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery, stirring well after each addition. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything looks droopy and golden, about 15-20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, potatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes.

Add the peas just prior to serving. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Variations: When you add the tomatoes, you can also add 1 cup of corn kernels, kidney or white beans, or when you add the peas, add 1 cup of cooked pasta or chopped fresh spinach. Increase 1 cup of chicken stock for every extra cup of additionals.

Keeps for 5 days if covered and refrigerated.  Yields 10-12 cups.


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Tahoe Salad

Kellie had this salad when she spent a few days in Lake Tahoe last month. It doesn't really have an official name, so we dubbed it "Tahoe Salad." It is simple and FABULOUS.

Tahoe Salad

tomatoes
corn
black beans
avocados
green onions
fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Julie's Notes: Instead of diced tomatoes, Kellie used grape tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. We also used fresh corn, but frozen would be fine.