Turkey Barley Soup

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken broth (low sodium or no salt added)
Onion, diced
Chopped vegetables - I usually use carrots, celery, parsnips
garlic, minced
Olive oil
Cooked turkey (or chicken), shredded or chopped
1 cup barley (I use pot barley ... you could use pearl as well)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook until garlic is golden. Add chopped vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the barley. Simmer for about 45 minutes, or until barley is cooked. When barley is cooked, add the turkey/chicken and cook until warmed through. About 5 minutes.

Serve with baking powder biscuits.

Great for left overs, though the barley will continue to absorb the broth so you may have to add more when reheating.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
minced garlic
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
Italian seasoning (or oregano, basil, thyme)
1 can tomato paste
1 Tablespoon sugar
salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add the garlic and saute until golden. Add diced tomatoes (do not drain), tomato paste, seasonings and sugar. Bring to boil, reduce to med low and simmer until slightly thickened and consistency is what you want. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

Slowcooker Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

olive oil
onion, minced
carrots, grated
zucchini, grated
1-1/2 lbs - Ground meat (lean beef, turkey, chicken ...)
2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (no salt added)
Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper
1/2 cup milk

Heat a saucepan over medium low heat. Add olive oil, onion, carrots and zucchini. Saute until onions are soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium high and add ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain fat.

Add meat mixture to the crockpot. Add crushed tomatoes, italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt & pepper. Cover and set to low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in milk.

Serve over pasta with grated parmesan.

Broccoli Pasta

Super easy and tasty. It's a great way to get the kids (and the veggie hating grownups) to eat a ton of broccoli.

Ingredients:

Broccoli (2 crowns or approx 5 cups)
Pasta
Olive Oil
Garlic - 2 cloves (minced)
1 cup - Parmesan Cheese (grated)

Directions:

Cut broccoli into smaller pieces.
Boil water for pasta. Add pasta and broccoli at the same time. Cook until pasta is done and broccoli is soft. Reserve one cup of water. Drain pasta and broccoli. Set aside.

Return pot to element, add olive oil and heat. Add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant and golden ... be careful not to let it burn.

Add pasta and broccoli back to pot. Stir until broccoli breaks up. Add water as needed. Add cheese and serve.

Beef, Squash & Maple Stew

Ingredients:

3 cups diced stewing beef
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup large diced butternut squash
1/2 cup large diced carrot
1/2 cup large diced white turnip
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider (I just used apple juice)
3 cups beef stock
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp finely chopped thyme
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp grape seed oil (I used canola oil)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat and brown the stewing beef in the pot. Add butter. Once melted, add flour, cocoa powder and mix to kind of coat the meat.

Place the beef, onions, butternut squash, carrots, turnip and thyme in the slow cooker. Add the maple syrup, apple cider and beef stock.

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Makes 6 servings and is even better the next day.

Adapted from this non-slowcooker recipe here - Beef, Squash & Maple Stew

Split Pea Soup (Slowcooker)

Ingredients

1 (450 grams) pkg. dried green or yellow split peas
1 hambone or 2 ham (pork) hocks
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. seasoned salt or kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
1 1/2 quarts hot water

Directions
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given in the ingredient list. Pour in hot water. Do not stir.

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove bones and bay leaf. Shred ham (if desired). If necessary (it usually isn't), mash peas to thicken more.

Serves 8.

Adapted from an About.com recipe ... that I can no longer find!

Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line 8x8" pan with parchment paper (criss cross two strips to make it easier to remove cooked brownies from pan). In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add vanilla, oil and eggs. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared 8x8" pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.