Minestrone Soup

1 Qt chicken broth
1/2 lb small tube pasta like ditalini 
1 lb smoked sausage, chopped into coins
2 celery stalks diced
1/2 onion diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 T italian seasoning

Directions:
brown onions in small frying pan until golden (optional)
put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours

Curried Split Pea Soup

Curried Split Pea Soup

1 or 1.5 cups of dry yellow split peas
1 qt chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
1 cup water
1/2 cup salsa
2 tbsp curry powder
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white rice

Directions:
Cook split peas ahead of time by following directions on the package.  Pour off foamy liquid 1-2 times as you cook (helps digestability of peas)
Throw all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until rice is tender
Optional: puree soup with an immersion blender if you want a smoother soup

Vegan Pesto

2 cups packed of Basil or thai basil
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup peanuts or natural peanut butter
3 T sesame oil
1.5 T rice vinegar
dash of red pepper flakes
1 T agave nectar or honey
1 t soy sauce
1 T lime juice
salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until texture is smooth

Cowboy Salad

I adapted this recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  It's a great summer entree salad that all of my kids will eat!
salad:
1 head iceburg (chopped), 1 bag other lettuce of your choice
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 package of bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled
2 green onions, diced
1/2 bag salad tortilla strips
1/2 box grape tomatoes, halved
any other veggies you'd like to add: carrots or cucumbers would work well

dressing:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup bbq sauce
splash of buttermilk or regular milk to desired thickness
1 T chopped garlic
shake well in a mason jar

Turkey Meatball Sliders

You will need:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 jar marinara sauce
• 5 slices provolone cheese
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 onion finely chopped or 2 T dried minced onion
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 10 slider buns

Directions:

• In a large skillet, combine 2 T olive oil, seasoning, onion, and garlic.  Cook on med-high for 2 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix together spice mix from previous pan, turkey, bread crumbs, and parmesan
• Roll into 10 even meatballs. 
• Return to original pan and brown in olive oil
• Pour jar of marinara sauce over meatballs, cover, and cook on medium for 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through
• On a sheet pan, place slider buns open faced and brushed with oil.  Add a meatball to each set of buns with a slice of cheese on top.  Bake at 450 for 4 minutes.

Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken Soup

Very rarely do I try a new recipe and then all 5 of us eat it up.  The boys were actually licking their bowls.  No leftovers on this one!

• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 12 ounce can coconut milk
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons natural smooth peanut butter
• dash of soy sauce
• 1½ pounds chicken breast or thighs
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red (or any color, or a combination) bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies (I used corn, green beans, peas, and carrots)
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Place chicken and onion in slow cooker.  In a bowl, whisk together curry paste, soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and peanut butter.  Pour into slow cooker.  Set on low for about 6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Add coconut milk and vegetables and cook for another hour.   Remove chicken and shred, then return to slow cooker.

I adapted this recipe from monicaswanson.com