This was not a recipe that I intended to make a blog post about. This was an evening gone wrong and I just wanted some comfort food in a hurry. However, after throwing this together, it was so good it needed a home on the blog. Now as it wasn’t intended for the blog, I only have the end results photos, but as it’s tomato soup, it really doesn’t look much different from beginning to end anyways.
In a large pot, combine 6 oz tomato paste, 15 oz tomato sauce, 24 oz milk, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast), 1/2 tsp sugar, and a bit of salt to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, that’s it! Serve with a side of crackers, grilled cheese, garlic bread or Veggie Reubens.
Timely Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
6 oz tomato paste
15 oz tomato sauce
24 oz milk
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large pot, combine 6 oz tomato paste, 15 oz tomato sauce, 24 oz milk, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring soup to a boil, stirring frequently. Once it is boiling, ready to serve with your choice of side dish.
My plan was for this to actually a crockpot stuffed peppers recipe. However, I forgot to set it up each day and by Thursday evening I needed to make something for dinner with what we had on hand so this is what I came up with. It turned into a happy accident that tastes great and is done in less than an hour.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of cooked rice, 15 oz black beans (drained and rinsed), 1 cup of corn, 15 oz diced tomatoes (drained), 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or liquid aminos), 1/2 tsp of Italian seasonings, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.
Quarter 5 bell peppers and lay them on the bottom of a prepared 9×13 baking pan. It’s okay if they slightly overlap. Pour the rice mixture over top the bell peppers spreading out evenly. Dice 2 bell peppers and sprinkle them over top the rice mixture along with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and place the baking pan in a preheated (375) oven for about 35 minutes.
Pre-aluminum foil
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
15 oz canned black beans
1 cup corn
15 oz diced tomatoes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or liquid aminos)
1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1 cup cheddar cheese (divided)
salt and pepper (to taste)
7 bell peppers
Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of cooked rice with 15 oz black beans (drained and rinsed), 1 cup corn, 15 oz diced tomatoes (drained and rinsed), 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.
Quarter 5 bell peppers and lay them on the bottom of a prepared 9×13 pan. Pour the rice mixture over the peppers and spread evenly.
Dice 2 bell peppers and sprinkle across the top of the rice mixture along with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar.
Preheat oven to 375, cover the 9×13 with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
I had originally intended this recipe to be a one pot meal, but the first time I made it that way it took so much longer than I wanted and I didn’t really want to put you through that. So this is a short cut version to save time, though this uses 1 more pot. *Shrug*
The key to making this chili a bit faster is cooking the pasta separately. The first time I boiled it all together and it took close to an hour. So first step is starting a pot of boiling water and adding 1 cup of small pasta. Cook according to package instructions and drain when finished cooking. In a separate large pot, add 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of brown lentils. Bring this to a boil and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Meanwhile, dice 1 bell pepper and 1/2 an onion. Once the lentils are done, add a bit of oil, diced bell pepper, and onion in with the lentils. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until pepper and onion has softened.
Add 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder to the veggies and lentils. Combine until the veggies are coated. Drain and rinse a 15 oz can of hominy. Add the cooked pasta, drained and rinsed hominy, 15 oz diced tomatoes, 15 oz tomato sauce, and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Stir well to combine. Set temperature to medium/high and allow this to heat for about 5-10 minutes until simmering. Then add 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, stirring occasionally until the spinach defrosts and starts to break down. Last, add 1 cup of cheese of choice and salt and pepper to taste. We used fiesta blend, but cheddar, monterey jack, colby jack, or gouda would also be fine.
Lentil Pasta Chili
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked small pasta (we used elbow)
1 cup cooked lentils (1 cup water : 1/3 cup brown lentils)
1 diced bell pepper
1/2 diced onion
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
15 oz hominy
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 cup cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, colby jack, etc)
Instructions:
Cook 1 cup of dry pasta according to package instructions, then set aside. In a separate large pot, add 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of rinsed brown lentils. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.
Once lentils are cooked, add a bit of oil, 1 diced bell pepper, and 1/2 an onion. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until the pepper and onion have softened. Add 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder and stir to coat the veggies and lentils.
Add the cooked pasta, 15 oz diced tomatoes, 15 oz drained and rinsed hominy, 15 oz tomato sauce, and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Bring this to simmer then add 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach. Let this simmer for 5-10 minutes until the spinach has defrosted and combined.
Add 1 cup of cheese stirring occasionally until fully melted. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!
For some reason, when I ever I go in with zero plan to make a meal, those tend to be the ones that work out best. When I go in with a plan, my kitchen laughs at me and tells me to try again (and again, and again). This was a one-try wonder which I greatly appreciate as I dislike having to make a recipe many times to get it to work perfectly. Looking at you Lentil Meatloaf Muffins…
Anyways, we have a bunch of butternut squash coming in our garden right now so I knew I needed something to use them up. Mac and cheese immediately popped into my head. I know there are dozens of ways to make mac and cheese and generally, I am not a person who makes homemade mac and cheese because it tends to be more work and effort than I like to put into a meal.
Every year, when my mom asks what she can make me for a birthday dinner, I usually ask for something with mac and cheese, because she makes really mac and cheese with a roux and all. This is 100x simpler. The most difficult part is peeling the butternut squash, which is honestly a pain, but worth it. Oh, quick side note, this makes a lot, so have people to share it with, for someone’s birthday say?
Begin by peeling and dicing the butternut squash. If you aren’t sure how to do this, check out this YouTube video. I strongly recommend using an Instant Pot to cook the butternut squash. That’s literally the trick to making this mac and cheese an easy weeknight meal. If you are going to use an Instant Pot, place all the cubed butternut squash into a steamer basket. Press the pressure cook button, set the temp to normal, and set the time to 7 minutes. Place the lid on and make sure the toggle is set to sealing. After 7 minutes, do a quick release
If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can toss the squash in about a tablespoon of oil and roast it in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.
While you are waiting for the squash to cook, whether in the oven or Instant Pot, you can cook your pasta. I used a 16 oz box of elbow noodles and cooked according to the package directions. Once the pasta is done, drain and set aside.
Transfer cooked butternut squash directly to a blender and add the following ingredients: 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp cream cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, a generous amount of pepper, and 1 cup milk. Blend all ingredients well until smooth and pourable, adding more milk if needed.
Pour the butternut squash mixture over the pasta and stir well to combine.
Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and stir well until fully melted. If you are making this directly out of the oven or Instant Pot, it should be plenty hot to melt the cheese without putting it over heat. Taste test and add additional salt or pepper. Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
16 oz elbow macaroni
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Peel and cube butternut squash.
Place the squash into an Instant Pot steamer basket. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook/normal temp/7 minutes, making sure the toggle is set to sealing (and that you have your sealing ring on, it’s happened to me too).
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, preheat your oven to 375 and roast the squash for 20 minutes.
While waiting on the squash to cook, cook 16 oz of elbow noodles according to the package directions, then set aside.
Place the cooked butternut squash in a blender with 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp cream cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp salt, a generous amount of pepper, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, and 1 cup of milk. Blend until smooth and pourable.
Pour the butternut squash mixture over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted. Taste test, adding additional salt or pepper if necessary then serve!
I talked about the benefits of TVP in the TVP Sloppy Joes, but here’s just another one, the fact that you don’t have to give up a simple family friendly dinner like meatballs, whether on a hoagie or spaghetti, to be a vegetarian. My husband, who is a “home vegetarian”, loves Wawa meatball parm hoagies and still thought these were excellent and both my babies loved them too. Annnndddd they only took 30 minutes to put together.
TVP absorbs liquid almost instantly, so the first step is to combine 2 cups of TVP with 2 cups of vegetable broth in a medium pot. Turn the heat on high and combine until the TVP has absorbed all the liquid and warmed through. Transfer the TVP to a large bowl and add all the seasonings: 1/2 tsp garlic, 1 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or liquid aminos if vegan), 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tbsp parmesan, 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or 1 tbsp nutritional yeast if vegan), and 1 egg (flax option, if vegan).
All the things! Except egg, that was a last minute decision.
Combine the TVP, egg and seasonings well. Take handfuls of the mix and create meatballs. I made mine pretty big knowing we were having them as hoagies, but if I was making them for spaghetti I would have made them a bit smaller. Mine made 14, but it could easily make 20 if made smaller.
Precooked
Preheat your oven to 400 and cook for 20 minutes flipping halfway through. While you are waiting on the meatballs to cook, make a quicky marinara sauce. In the pot you used to combine the TVP and broth, pour in a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, . Place this on medium heat and let it simmer until the meatballs are finished, stirring occasionally. If it’s popping, drop the temp to low and place a lid on top.
Once the meatballs are finished cooking, serve as you desire.
Ready to eat!
TVP Meatballs
Ingredients for TVP Meatballs:
2 cups TVP
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or liquid aminos
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tbsp parmesan
1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Ingredients for quicky marinara sauce:
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a medium pot, combine 2 cups TVP with 2 cups vegetable broth over medium/high heat. Let this heat for a few minutes until the broth has absorbed and TVP is heated through.
Transfer the TVP to a large bowl and add the seasonings: 1/2 tsp garlic, 1 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tbsp parmesan, 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast, and 1 egg. Mix well until all seasonings and the egg are combine with the TVP.
Preheat oven to 400. Using medium handfuls, create meatballs and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.
While waiting on the meatballs, make a quicky marinara sauce. In the same sauce pan from earlier combine 28 oz of crushed tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Let this sit on low/medium heat until ready to serve.
Serve on rolls as a hoagie with mozzarella or over spaghetti.
When I was in college there was a wonderful Thai restaurant nearby called Cozy Thai. That was the first place I’d ever had Pad Thai and I fell in love. Unfortunately, we don’t have any Thai restaurants within ordering distance from our current location so figuring out how to make it at home was essential.
This recipe uses ingredients that people typically have on hand for the sauce. Also, in my recipe I used Shirataki noodles and tofu that I had made earlier in the day. For noodles, you can use whatever you happen to have available. The standard choice is rice noodles but if you don’t have those you could also try homemade zucchini noodles (zoodles) or fettuccine noodles in a pinch.
As I mentioned above I had made Air Fryer Turmeric Tofu earlier in the day so I just diced some up and used it in this recipe. I’m assuming you may not have premade tofu so if not, the first step is to press and cube your tofu. If you are unsure how to do this, feel free to check out the recipe for Air Fryer Turmeric Tofu for details. Once you have pressed and cubed the tofu, set it aside for later in the recipe.
Thinly slice 1 bell pepper and finely diced 1 carrot. Alternatively, you could spiralize the carrot if you prefer. Place these in a large skillet with a small amount of sesame oil (or oil of choice) and saute until the peppers have softened. Then add in your cubed tofu. I used about a cup of small diced tofu (about the same size as the carrot is diced) so you will likely have left over tofu.
**Optional: I didn’t have any eggs in the house when I made this, but if you want to add scrambled egg, now would be the time to do so. Just push the veggies and tofu to the side and make the scrambled egg (2 eggs) before combining in with the veggies**
Let this continue to saute for a few minutes to continue softening the bell pepper and carrots and cooking the tofu. Meanwhile, depending on the type of noodle you are using, begin cooking your noodles according to the directions on the box. Once cooked, add the noodles and 1/2 a cup of bean sprouts to the veggies and tofu and combine well. As I used Shirataki noodles, I rinsed these and added them directly to the veggies and tofu.
While waiting on the noodles to heat up, make the peanut sauce. Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter*, 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 cup water, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, and 1 tsp garlic. Whisk well to combine. Taste test and add additional chili garlic sauce or sriracha if needed.
*For peanut butter, any will do. However, I recommend Crazy Richard’s Creamy Peanut Butter because of the minimal ingredients (literally just peanuts) and as natural peanut butter tends to be more liquid-y, its easier to combine and get an accurate measurement.
Pour sauce over noodles and veggies and stir well to combine. Serve with green onion, peanuts and pineapple on top.
Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
1 cup cubed extra firm tofu
1 bell pepper
1 carrot
sesame oil
8 oz rice noodles or 8 oz shirataki noodles
2 eggs (optional)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup water
1 tsp garlic
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
green onion
peanuts
Instructions:
Thinly slice bell pepper and diced carrots. In a large skillet, saute the carrots and bell pepper in a small amount of sesame oil. Continue sauteing for about 5-10 minutes then add 1 cup cubed tofu.
Beat 2 eggs and add a bit of milk, Push the veggies and tofu to the side of the skillet and scramble the eggs in the open space.
In a separate pot, boil water and cook according to package instructions. If using shirataki noodles, they can just be drained and rinsed. Once the noodles are cooked and drained, add them into the skillet with 1/2 cup of bean sprouts.
In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 tsp of garlic chili sauce (or more depending on spice preference), 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp garlic, 3 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp hoisin sauce. Whisk well to combine and break down the peanut butter. Pour over the veggies, tofu, eggs, and noodles. Stir well to combine.
Let this simmer for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
As I have multiple recipes including it, you can probably tell I love turmeric. It has a wonderful slightly sweet yet earthy flavor and you can’t beat the beautiful yellow color. So here we are with another recipe using turmeric. Creamy Chickpea Soup is a quick cooking soup that use a roux as a base to get the creamy texture.
When I first started cooking roux’s were slightly intimidating but after years of practice it’s really a simple ratio and accepting that you may need a bit of patience. So to start just dice about a cup of celery and 1/2 an onion. Place these in a soup pot with a bit of oil and 1 tsp of garlic. Saute the onion, celery and garlic for about 5-10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
I used frozen celery. Bought fresh but diced and frozen for future use.
Once the onion is translucent, add 2 tbsp of butter. Let this fully melt then add 1/4 cup of flour and combine them well. The vegetables will begin lumping together.
Continue sauteing this for 3-5 minutes then very slowly stir in 2 cups of milk to combine with the roux. The temp should be medium high as the milk will need to come to a simmer. Milk can scald very easily so just make sure the temp isn’t too high and that you are stirring continuously. As you stir it should begin to thicken. Set the temperature to medium and while stirring frequently allow the milk to thicken. You should be able to feel the difference as you stir.
Once the milk has thickened, add 2 cups of broth, once again pouring in slowly and stirring consistently. This may take away some of the thickness so make sure the milk is thoroughly thickened before adding broth. Allow this to simmer for about 5-10 minutes once added, stirring frequently.
Add 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables, 15 oz of chickpeas (drained and rinsed), 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixed vegetables are cooked through and serve.
Creamy Chickpea Soup
Ingredients:
1 cup diced celery
1/2 an onion
1 tsp garlic
oil of choice
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
15 oz can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Diced 1 cup of celery and 1/2 an onion. Place these in a pot with 1 tsp garlic and a bit of oil. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add 2 tbsp butter, let this melt and combine with the veggies. Once butter is fully melted, add 1/4 cup of flour. Stir to combine the veggies, butter and flour and create a roux. Let this cook for 3-5 minutes.
Very slowly add 2 cups of milk, stirring continuously as you add it. As you continue stirring, bring the milk to simmering. As you stir you should feel the milk begin to thicken. Simmer about 5-10 minutes until thickened.
Slowly add 2 cups of vegetable broth, stirring frequently. Allow this to simmer for another 5-10 minutes until thickened.
Add 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 15 oz can of chickpea (drained and rinsed), and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the mixed veggies are cooked, then serve!
The other day while feeding my 8 month old sweet potato with barley I managed to, unknowingly, get sweet potato all over myself. My 8 month old handles preloaded spoons well, yet some how I always end up with food on my hands and once in a while in my hair. So while he was eating sweet potato I was eating Homemade Salsa, some how he got sweet potato in my salsa. I didn’t notice until I took a bite and it was surprisingly good and inspiration for dinner was born.
Frankly while I like the taste of sweet potato, not a huge fan of the texture so I knew there would need to be a balance. The black beans in this have a great taste and texture and could be used in many other meals and the broken chip pieces help alleviate the gooey texture of the sweet potatoes.
These do take a bit of time, but it depends on how many sweet potatoes for. If you are making only for 1 person, you can just microwave the sweet potato and it could be done in as little as 15 minutes. However if you are making more than 1, I’d just go ahead with oven baking them as it’ll take just as much time.
I’m going to go ahead with assuming you are making more than one so start by preheating the oven to 375. Wash 5 sweet potatoes and rub each with a small amount of oil. Using a fork, poke holes all over the sweet potatoes. I had a helper for this part.
Then lightly wrap in aluminum foil. Place all of the sweet potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. After 45 minutes, check them by poking with a knife. If the knife slices through, they are done. Otherwise, place them back in the over for another 15 minutes before checking again.
When the sweet potatoes have about 15 minutes remaining, begin cooking your black beans. Drain and rinse a 15 oz can of black beans. Place the beans in a medium pot, add 4 oz can of diced green chilies, 1 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/4 cup water. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop the temperature to medium and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the beans begin to thicken.
Once the sweet potatoes and beans are done, very carefully, open the aluminum foil and transfer to a plate. Cut the sweet potato in half, place about a 1/4 cup of beans in the middle, top with a bit of mozzarella cheese, a few tablespoons of salsa, and a couple crinkled up chips. Repeat for the rest of the potatoes and enjoy!
Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
5 sweet potatoes
15 oz can black beans
4 oz diced green chilies
1 1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup water
salsa
mozzarella
broken chip pieces
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375. Rinse and scrub each of the sweet potatoes then rub a bit of oil on each of the potatoes. Using a fork, poke holes all over the potatoes and wrap each in aluminum foil. Once preheated, place the sweet potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. They should cut easily with a knife when cooked through.
When there is about 15 minutes left on the potatoes begin making the black beans. Drain and rinse the black beans and transfer them to a medium pot. Add 1 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/4 cup water.
Bring the beans to a boil, then drop the temperature to medium-low. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes until the beans have thickened.
Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the aluminum foil. Cut the potato in half and place about a 1/4 cup of beans in the middle. Add mozzarella, a few tablespoons of salsa, and a couple crumbled up chip pieces. Serve and enjoy!
Growing up there was this little pizza shop near us that served wonderful taco pizza. It’s been probably 10 years since I’ve last had taco pizza and I decided to make my own. I used the 2-ingredient pizza dough and a homemade taco-ish seasoning but this would easily work with store bought crust and a packet of taco seasoning.
Begin by combining 1/2 a cup of TVP with 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 cayenne, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 3/4 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit 5-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile make 2-ingredient pizza dough. Place 2 cups of self-rising flour in a large bowl with 2 cups of plain greek yogurt. Gently fold the yogurt into the flour. Initially use a spatula, but once mostly combined it will likely to be easier to finish combining by hand. Roll the dough into a ball and lay it out on a floured work surface.
Roll the dough out into a circular shape, as best as possible. I split my dough into one small ball of dough, one medium large because my husband doesn’t like any kind of condiment and I was determined to replicate the restaurant pizza, which required dressing. So he got his own pizza.
Anyways, once you roll out the pizza transfer the rolled out dough to a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Spread 1/2 cup salsa across the dough leaving the edge for crust, then add about 1 cup of cheese, 6 quartered cherry tomatoes, 1 thinly sliced bell pepper, and 3 tbsp of the cooked TVP.
Place the pizza in the oven (preheated to 425) and bake for about 15-20 minutes. The pizza is done once the edges start turning lightly brown and the cheese has fully melted. Remove the pizza and add a few pinches of shredded lettuce, a drizzle of ranch, and a small handful of crunched up chips. Serve and enjoy!
All the things.Husband’s pizza
Taco Pizza
Ingredients:
1/2 cup TVP
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup water
2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
6 cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1 bell pepper (thinly sliced)
shredded lettuce
ranch dressing
optional: crunched up tortilla chips, olives
Instructions:
In a sauce pot, combine TVP with cumin, paprika, cayenne, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder and water. Bring this to a boil then remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
Begin making your pizza dough. Combine 2 cups greek yogurt with 2 cups of self-rising flour. This gets very sticky so begin mixing with a spatula, once flour coats the yogurt you may have to use your hands to finish combining.
Sprinkle a work surface with a bit of flour then lay the dough out. Roll the dough out until it’s semi circular. Alternatively, you can break it in half and make 2 pizzas which is what we usually do.
Transfer dough to a prepared baking sheet. Place 1/2 cup of salsa in center and spread around evenly.
Add all remaining topping except lettuce, dressing, chips and olives (if using).
Place pizza in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes until crust is lightly brown and cheese has fully melted.
Once the pizza is done, remove from the oven and add the last of the toppings (lettuce, dressing, chip crumbles) before cutting and serving.
My 3 year old has strange tastes. Not like a “he eats watermelon with ketchup” weird (though he does that too) but like, he doesn’t like buttered noodles. What child doesn’t like buttered noodles?? I swear he doesn’t like them just to be contrary because what’s simpler than buttered noodles when you are in a hurry for a meal. Anyways, one type of noodle that he does love is noodles that have been cooked in curry and turmeric, which is how I came upon this soup.
That said, the noodles are totally optional. I think they add a nice balance to make this soup a bit thicker and less broth-y, but if the potatoes are plenty for you that’s great and saves you a few minutes on cook time.
Start by dicing 1/2 an onion, 1 cup of celery (2-3 stalks), and 1 cup of carrots (~2 carrots). Place these in a soup pot with a bit of oil and saute for about 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp curry powder. Cook until fragrant, about another 5 minutes.
Yes, I need a new soup pot.
Add 8 cups of broth, 2/3 cup of rinsed lentils, and the diced potatoes. In regards to the potatoes, I used 2 russet potatoes this time but I’ve made it with 4 little red potatoes before. Either works. Bring the soup to a boil and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, add 1 cup of small pasta (I used elbows) and cook for another 10 minutes before serving.
Curried Lentil Potato Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 an onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
8 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup brown lentils
2 russet potatoes (or 4 red potatoes)
1 cup of small pasta (I used elbows)
Instructions:
Dice onion, celery and carrots. Place these in a large soup pot with a bit of oil and saute for about 5 minutes.
Add 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp curry powder and allow this to cook with the veggies for another 5 minutes or so.
Add 8 cups vegetable broth, 2/3 cup lentils, and diced potatoes. Bring broth to a boil. Once boiling drop the temperature to medium to allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 1 cup of pasta, cook for another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is fully cooked.
Mama Bear Feeds Family 