Slow- Cook Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup...Drop it in Your Slow Cooker and Go to Work

This hearty and healthy soup is a welcome meal for busy days when you need the crockpot to do the cooking for you. Dump in all of the ingredients and dinner will be ready in 8 hours!

 

SLOW-COOK TUSCAN SAUSAGE & BEAN SOUP
www.RecipeGirl.com

One (12-ounce) link of turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1/2 medium bunch kale, stems removed, & leaves chopped (about 4 cups)
3 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
One (15.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
One (15.5-ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed & drained
One (14.5-ounce) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine (or water)
1 tsp. dried basil
shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

1. In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except Parmesan. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 hours.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)

 

Very tasty and hearty....good for those cooler days just around the corner. You're a genius

English Muffin Pizzas...Quickie Lunch

 

These are great for a quick lunch with a small salad on the side. Takes about 25 minutes total time

 Ingredients

• 6 English muffin halves
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese, packed
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 3/4 cup diced ham
• A pinch of chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon stoneground mustard
• Optional: slices of fresh tomato

Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°F.
2 Melt butter in a medium skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the diced ham, cook 5 minutes more. Mix in the sage and mustard. Remove from heat.
3 Put muffin halves, open side up on a sturdy baking pan. Distribute the cheese evenly, sprinkling over the muffin halves. Put the onion ham mixture on top of the cheese. If you want to use tomato slices, layer them between the cheese and onion mixture.
4 Bake at 425°F for 8-9 minutes, until the muffins and toppings are nicely browned, but not burned.


 The kids loved these when I made them and I had to whip up some more in a hurry. It's a 'can't fail' lunch. You'll be a hero in your own kitchen.

Asparagus Frittata Recipe..Very Fast and Nutritious for Breakfast or Lunch

This is a quick and easy, no-nonsense recipe that makes a terrific frittata in hardly any time at all. On the weekend I always combine breakfast and lunch because people tend to sleep in later and frittatas make an excellent brunch.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup minced shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• You can always add more spices....your preference

Method

1 Heat butter into a 10-inch oven-proof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add asparagus, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.
2 Pour in eggs and cook until almost set, but still runny on top, about 2 minutes. While cooking, pre-heat oven broiler.

 

3 Sprinkle cheese over eggs and put in oven to broil until cheese is melted and browned, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven with oven mitts and slide frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges.

It really tastes great and doesn't need much else added to the plate except a few tomato slices and a piece of toast.... Easy for Dad to fix also



10 Minute Fruit Tart... Fab and Easy

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla or lemon flavor instant pudding mix
• 1 orange, zested
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry or blackberry preserves
• 1 prepared graham cracker crust, found on baking aisle
• 1/2 pint raspberries
• 1/2 pint blackberries or blueberries, your preference
• 6 large strawberries, sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, optional

Directions

Make pudding according to package directions and let stand 5 minutes. Stir orange zest into the pudding. Spread a thin layer of preserves across the bottom of graham cracker crust. Top with pudding. Arrange fruit on pudding, then sprinkle pie with mint, if desired.

This recipe is so quick to make and so delicious, any working mom can whip it up in ten minutes and look like a gourmet goddess.  The family will scarf it up and beg for more....Enjoy

Another Easy Peasy Dessert For ..'Too Busy to Cook Much', Moms..Caramel Sticky Pudding

Ingredients

For the cake:

• Butter, for baking dish plus 1/4 cup, melted
• Scant 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped, rolled dates

For the sauce:

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• Approximately 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in little blobs
• 2 1/4 cups boiling water

For the cake:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 1 1/2-quart capacity baking dish.

Combine the sugar with the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk into a measuring cup, beat in the egg, vanilla and melted butter and then pour this mixture over the sugar and flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in the dates then scrape into the prepared baking dish. Don't worry if it doesn't look very full; it will by the time it cooks.

For the sauce:

Sprinkle the sugar over the cake mixture and dot with butter. Pour over the boiling water (yes really!) and transfer to the oven. Set the time for 45 minutes, though you might find the dessert needs 5 or 10 minutes more. The top of the dessert should be springy and spongy when it's cooked; underneath, the butter, dark brown sugar and boiling water will have turned into a rich, sticky sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche or heavy or light cream, as you wish.

 

Decadent! Decadent! ....warm and gooey. It will be wildly popular with the family...Take a bow.

Lemon-Coconut Pound Cake Loaf

Prep Time : ... 15 minutes ... Total time (incl. glaze ) Makes 8 to 10 servings

1/2 ............cup butter , softened

1 -1/2 ........cups granulated sugar

3 ...............large eggs

1 -1/2 ........cups all-purpose flour

1/2 ............teaspoon salt

1/8 ............ teaspoon baking soda

1/2 .............cup sour cream

2 ................teaspoons lemon zest

1 ................cup sweetened flaked cocnut , divided

1) Preheat oven to 325*F , Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy . Gradually add suger , beating until light and fluffy . Add eggs , 1 at a time , beating until just blended after each addition .

2) Stir together flour , salt and baking soda . Add butter mixture alternately with sour cream , beginning and ending with flour mixture . Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition . Stir in zest and 1/2 cup coconut . Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-x-5-inch loaf pan .

3) Bake at 325*F for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean . Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes ; remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely (about 1 hour).

4) Spoon lemon glaze over cake (recipe below) and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut . Garnish if desired .

LEMON GLAZE:

Hands-on-time: ... 5 minutes ...Total time : 5 minutes

2 ...........cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 .....tablespoons milk

2 ............teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Whisk together powdered sugar , 2 tablespoons milk and fresh lemon juice , adding an additional 1 tablespoon milk , 1 teaspoon at a time , for desired consistency .

Kids young and old will love this cake and it's heart healthy .

Roquefort Ring

Prep time : ...5 minutess ... Chilling time : ...4 hours ... Makes 6 servings

1/2 ................cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium vegetable broth

1 ...................envelope (1/4 ounce) unfavored gelatin

1/2 ................cup half and half milk

1 ...................package (8 ounces) cream cheese , softened and cut up

8 ...................ounces Roquefort cheese or other blue cheese , coarsely crumbled

2 ...................tablespoons grated yellow onion

1 ...................garlic clove , minced

1/8 to 1/4 ......teaspoon cayenne

1) Pour wine into a blender ; spinkle in gelatin and let stand 3 to 4 minutes .

2) In a small saucepan over low heat , bring half -and-half to a simmer . Pour over softened gelatin and blend on low speed until gelitan dissolves completely ..about 2 minutes . Gradually add onion , garlic and cayenne and blend until smooth and creamy . Taste and adjust seasonings , if desired .

3) Pour into a lightly oiled 4-cup ring mold and chill several hours or until firm .

4) Unmold on a bed of lettuce . Serve with ceaskers and apple or pear slices .

Works well in a buffet or a small dinner party ....can be made the day before .