Peanut Soup

This soup is absolutely delicious, and wonderfully filling. I served it with rice and a green salad. Yum!

♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥

Peanut Soup
This recipe is adapted from 500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes
Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6+


Ingredients:
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp mild chili powder
salt & pepper

2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced

32 oz (4 C) vegetable stock
2/3 C sweet corn kernels
1 medium to large Roasted Butternut Squash, pureed
6-8 Tbs crunchy peanut butter

1. Heat the oils in a large, heavy pot. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in chili powder and cook one more minute.

2. Add the peppers, carrots, potatoes, and celery. Stir well and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the stock, peanut butter, corn, and squash. Stir until thoroughly combined.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Money/Time Saving Recipe #3: Chicken Soup

We are on a tight budget in my house right now, and in an effort to save money and time I'm working on making wallet-friendly dinners that are big enough to at least make lunch the next day and, at best, also freeze for later. (Please keep in mind that I have a family of three, so you would need to increase the size of each recipe if you have a larger group to feed.)

♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥

Thick and Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup
Time: 1-2 hours
Servings: 8+


Ingredients:
Leftover chicken and skeleton from Roasted Chicken w/Stuffing

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
2-6 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper

32-64 oz low sodium or sodium free chicken stock
water
2 bay leaves
1/2 Tbsp dried sage

4 medium/small potatoes, chopped
2-3 large carrots, chopped
1 cup white rice

1 bunch kale, finely chopped

1. Remove all chicken from skeleton; shred into bite-sized pieces, set in refrigerator until later.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in medium soup/stock pot.
3. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook 2-3 minutes.
4. Add garlic, salt, and pepper; cook until vegetables are soft.
5. Add chicken skeleton (not meat!) to pot; add liquid(s) to cover.
6. Add bay leaves and sage; simmer over low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Remove skeleton.
8. Add potatoes, carrots, and rice; simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Add kale and shredded chicken; simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Remove from heat and serve.



This soup only gets better as it sits, so feel free to make ahead of time. Freeze leftover soup in muffin tin(s) and save in freezer bags.

Money/Time Saving Recipe #1: Three Bean "Chili"

We are on a tight budget in my house right now, and in an effort to save money and time I'm working on making wallet-friendly dinners that are big enough to at least make lunch the next day and, at best, also freeze for later. (Please keep in mind that I have a family of three, so you would need to increase the size of each recipe if you have a larger group to feed.)

♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥.....♥

Three-Bean "Chili"
(Adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe Veg-Head Three-Bean Chili)
Time: 30-40 minutes
Makes: 8 servings

This recipe is not spicy, and therefore kid-friendly. (Which is why I said"Chili"-it's really much more like a bean stew.) If you're looking for more spice, add 1-2 diced jalapeno peppers and hot sauce.


Ingredients:

Olive Oil
1 Medium onion, diced
2 large bell peppers (any color), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beer and/or chicken or vegetable stock
1 32-ounce cans crushed or diced tomatoes
2 14-ounce cans black beans
2 14-ounce cans kidney beans
2 14-ounce cans refried beans
1 small bag frozen corn, defrosted
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp salt

Possible Toppings:
Avocado
Cheese
Sour cream
Green onions

1. Heat olive oil in large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat.
2. Add onion; cook 2-3 minutes until softened.
3. Add bell peppers, garlic, and salt; cook 2-3 minutes until softened.
4. Add beer, stock,tomatoes, cumin, and chili powder; cook until simmering.
5. Add black beans, kidney beans, and corn; cook until simmering.
6. Add refried beans; cook and stir until refried beans have softened and are evenly distributed.
7. Enjoy!

This is particularly delicious served with cornbread. My favorite toppings are avocado and green onions. After serving dinner, I set aside some chili and the rest of the cornbread for lunch. I take the remaining chili and freeze in a muffin tin, and then transfer to a freezer bag. This way, you can heat all of it for a family dinner or just an individual serving for yourself.