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

Hoffmeister House Salad Dressing

This dressing is kind of like a homemade honey-mustard.  It's light and refreshing and great for any salad!

1 cup oil (half olive, half canola)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1 t ground mustard

1 t celery seed

1 t salt

Mix well and toss with green salad.

PW's salisbury steak and potatoes

This one was delicious.  And all of the kids scarfed it down.

Ingredients

Meat Mixture:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons dry mustard
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 cube beef bouillon, crumbled (or powdered beef base)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Gravy:

1 whole onion, halved and thinly sliced (or diced if you prefer)

2 cups beef broth, more if needed for thinning
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon seasoning sauce, such as Kitchen Bouquet, optional
4 dashes Worcestershire
1 teaspoon cornstarch, optional
Salt and pepper

Directions:

For the meat mixture: Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, ketchup, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon and some salt and pepper. Knead until all combined. Form into 4 to 6 oval patties, and then make lines across the patties to give them a "steak" appearance.

Fry the patties in a skillet with the butter and oil over medium-high heat on both sides until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from the skillet and pour off any excess grease.
For the gravy: Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sliced onions. Stir and cook until golden brown and somewhat soft, for several minutes. Add the beef stock, ketchup, seasoning sauce, if using, and the Worcestershire. Then combine the cornstarch with a little beef broth and add to the sauce if using. Stir and cook to reduce.
Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and more broth if needed for thinning. Then return the patties to the gravy. Spoon the gravy over the top and let them simmer and heat back up for a couple of minutes.