Tortellini-Vegetable Chowder

This is a really good and quick recipe. Great for our vegetarian friends. ;)

2 (14.5-oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (16-oz) package loose-packed frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots

1 (9-oz.) package refrigerated cheese (or meat) filled tortellini

2 cups milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon snipped fresh basil or
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1 cup shredded process smoked Gouda cheese

Ground black pepper (optional)


In a large saucepan, combine broth and frozen vegetables. Bring to boiling; add tortellini. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 4 minuted or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup of milk and the flour, making sure there are no lumps. Add to saucepan; add remaining milk and dried basil, if using. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in cheese and fresh basil, if using, until cheese melts. If desired, season with pepper.

This is good when I forget to thaw meat for dinner. :)

Baked Beans and Ham

Prep: 15 min.
Soak: 8 hours*
Cook: 1 hour, 5 minutes; Bake: 1 hour

1 (20-oz) package dried 15 bean soup mix
4 (or more) cups of water
2-4 (8-oz) smoked ham hocks
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 cups chopped cooked ham
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup ketchup
1 cup B-B-Q sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 can of chicken (or beef broth) This is an optional ingredient, I feel this recipe would be too dry without it.
1/4 cup bourbon (optional)

Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water 2 inches above beans, and soak 8 hours*. Drain.

Bring beans, 4 cups of water, and ham hocks to a boil in a Dutch oven; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain. Remove beans; set beans aside. Remove ham hocks; let cool; chop meat, discarding skin and bones.

Saute onion and 2 cups ham in hot oil in Dutch oven 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add beans, reserved meat from ham hocks, ketchup, B-B-Q sauce, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, bourbon to Dutch oven.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I don't have a Dutch oven so I just use a large pot and transfer the ingredients to an oven-safe dish to bake.


SORTING AND SOAKING BEANS

To sort beans, pick out any foreign substances such as small stones and soil particles.

*For quick soaking, add 6-8 cups of water to 1 pound dried beans, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook 2 minutes; remove from heat, and soak 1 hour. Rinse and drain; cook according to recipe directions.

Hummus

I have not tried this recipe, but will soon. At our house, we love to have an assortment of Hummus as a dip. This is a great alternative to always eating cream (sour or whipped) based dips because they are high in calorie and don't sustain you all that much. So I am anxious to try it. And when you buy hummus at the market, it is expensive. Let me know if you try it too. ~Shelly

Ingredients:
1 can [15 to 16 ounces] garbanzo beans, drained and liquid reserved
1/2 cup sesame seed
1 clove garlic, cut in half
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp salt
chopped fresh parsleypita bread wedges, crackers or raw vegetables, if desired

Instructions— Place reserved bean liquid, the sesame seed and garlic in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth.— Add beans, lemon juice and salt. Cover and blend on high speed, stopping blender occasionally to scrape sides if necessary, until uniform consistency.— Spoon into serving dish. Garnish with parsley. Serve with pita bread wedges.