Greek Spinach-Pasta Salad with Feta and Beans

Makes 6 servings

6 oz. fresh spinach (I buy the 10 oz. bags from Walmart or Smith's for $1.99 and just use a little more than 1/2)
1 - 15 oz. can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese (I buy the large bricks of President's feta cheese from Costco, come home and cut the block into 9 smaller pieces (each piece is about 4 oz.) and freeze each of the 9 pieces until I need them.  This way 4 oz. of crumbled feta cheese costs less than $1)
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 oz. dried whole wheat pasta (farfalle, penne, etc.)

1.  In a large serving bowl combine, spinach, beans, cheese, tomatoes, garlic, lemon peel and juice, oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cover; let stand at room temperature while cooking pasta or up to 2 hours; stir occasionally.

2.  Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  Toss cooked pasta and pasta water with spinach salad mixture and serve.

 This recipe was in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine in February 2011 and my whole family loves it.  It goes together fast.  I can have this recipe ready in 30 minutes and I can't say that about very many of the dishes I prepare for dinner.  My whole family loves it!

Thai Yellow Curry with Pineapple

Prep Time:  40 minutes

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into small strips
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb. chicken, pork, or shrimp
20 oz. can of pineapple slices, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional, but oh, so good!)
2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut milk
2 tsp. salt
steamed Jasmine rice

1.  Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Cook onion and bell pepper until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add spices, garlic, and meat, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add coconut milk, pineapple, and salt; simmer 10 minutes.

2.  Spoon curry over rice, you can garnish with cilantro leaves if you would like.

Makes 6 servings.

(I found this recipe in Sunset magazine and have only tweaked it slightly.  This is my oldest son's favorite food!  I take about 1/3 of the curry during the last 10 minutes of cooking and simmer it in a separate pan with a couple diced Thai chilis because my husband loves the heat, he really likes this.)

Really Good Sloppy Joes

Prep Time:  1 hour

2 Tbsp. oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 red or yellow bell peppers, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. ground turkey
1 cup Chili sauce
1 cup water
6 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
12 split and toasted buns

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, celery, thyme, and salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion is softened, but not browned (about 10 minutes.)  Transfer the onion mixture to a plate.  Add to the skillet the ground turkey and cook until no pink remains.  Drain the fat, and the onion mixture back into the skillet along with the Chili sauce, water, and Worcestershire sauce.  Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the flavors and blended and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Spoon onto the buns and serve.

Makes 12 sandwiches

(This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking.  I use ground turkey rather than ground beef chuck, which is what their recipe calls for.  My whole family LOVES these.  You will never be able to buy a can of "Manwich" sloppy joe sauce after this!)

Chili

Prep time:  1 hour

1 lb. ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 - 14 1/2 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
2 - 15 oz. cans of kidney beans, drained (or 2 cups dried kidney beans: soaked, cooked, and drained)
3 - 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt

In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic.  Drain the fat.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings or about 10 cups

(This is a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens that I have adapted.  If you like your chili spicy, you can add additional chili powder and some ground pepper.  This is a very family friendly recipe though.  My 4 year old son says to me when I make this, "I don't like your chili, Mom--I love it!"

Lime and Basil Turkey Burgers

Prep Time:  40 minutes

2 lbs. ground turkey (or chicken)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
6 green onions, white and light green parts only, minced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil, or 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 + 1/8 tsp. (so just under a half tsp.) chile powder
1/4 + 1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 + 1/8 tsp. pepper

1.  Heat grill to Medium heat (350 - 450 degrees.)

2.  In a large bowl, mix the ingredients.  Shape the mixture into 8 equal sized balls.  Press them to the size you desire your burgers to be. 

3.  Brush both sides of the burgers with olive oil and grill for about 5 - 7 minutes, or until cooked through (I slice a burger in half to make sure the burgers are cooked.)

4.  Place on a bun with tomatoes and spinach and serve with raw vegetables.

Makes 8 Burgers

(I have taken this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling.  This recipe is found on p. 210 in the book and has a delicious Creamy Cucumber Relish that you can serve with the burgers.  Weber's suggested serving method with the burgers and relish is without a bun, so I usually make a muffin or biscuit to accompany the meal when I follow their serving suggestion.  Tonight I was looking for an easy dinner though, so I served my burgers on a bun and opted not to make the relish.  Maybe I'll repost this recipe on another night when I make the burgers with the relish.)  :)

Lentil Soup

Prep Time:  1 hour

3 Tbsp. olive oil
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
5 celery stalks, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups water
2 cups lentils, sorted and rinsed
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups diced ham*
1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 tsp. salt (1 tsp. if you make this dish with meat)
1/2 tsp. pepper

1.  Heat the oil in a large soup pot, over medium-low heat and add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, cooking until tender, but not browned (about 5 - 10 minutes.)

2.  Stir in the water, lentils, tomatoes, and thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

3.  Stir in the ham, vinegar, salt and pepper, and serve.

Makes 6 servings (about 12 cups)

(I have taken this recipe from the Joy of Cooking, one of my favorite cookbooks, and have adapted it for my family.  I have added about one and a half extra vegetables, added ham, and reduced the amount of pepper called for.)

*I buy a 1/2 spiral cut ham with a bone-in for a nice Sunday dinner.  I freeze the leftover slices of ham and the ham bone (which is great for this soup!), in quart-sized freezer bags that are very convenient for cooking with later.  This is the only type of ham I use in this soup.  I have tried buying prepared packages from the store of diced or chopped ham, but my family did not enjoy the soup that way, they felt like the ham was too rubbery.

Shrimp Tacos

Prep Time:  1 hour

2 - 14.5 oz. cans of whole kernel corn
12 green onions, white and light green parts only
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 chopped avocados
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 lb. medium - large shrimp, peeled and deveined
16 flour tortillas

1.  Heat grill to medium-high heat, (350 to 450 degrees.)  Or preheat broiler.

2.  Combine the corn, green onions, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3.  Brush shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Grill or broil for 2 - 4 minutes or until the shrimp have some color to it (I am very careful not cook the shrimp too long, rubbery shrimp does not make great eating.)  :)

4.  Grill the tortillas for about 30 seconds per side to warm them.  This step makes a big difference in how delicious this dish tastes.  If you don't have a grill, you could heat the tortillas in a skillet. 

5.  To serve, place a tortilla on a plate, put 2 - 4 shrimp down the middle of the tortilla and top with the vegetable mixture.

Serves:  8

(I took this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling Cookbook, BTW, I love this cookbook!  I have simplified the recipe a bit and don't use any of the spicy peppers it calls for because I want my kids to eat this recipe.)  :)

Black Beans and Rice

Prep Time:  45 minutes (longer if you are soaking and cooking beans, rather than using canned)

3 - 14.5 oz. cans black beans, drained or 1 lb. dried black beans
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 lb. sausage (I buy a 1 lb. tube of sausage and freeze the other half for later)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Rice

1.  If using dry beans (which I do--a great way to rotate my food storage), sort, rinse, soak for 8 - 12 hours, and cook for 2 hours in salted water (I cook my beans in about 6 quarts of water with about 1/2 Tbsp. salt.)  Drain when tender.

2.  Steam rice according to package instructions.

3.  In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the onion, bell peppers, garlic, and sausage until the sausage is cooked through.  Add beans to the cooked mixture.  (If using dried beans, I generally add all but about 1 cup of the beans to the mixture.  I freeze the remaining cup of beans to use later.)

4.  Serve the bean and vegetable mixture over the rice.  Garnish with cilantro.

Serves:  6

(I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Heidi.  My two oldest kids are nuts about this dinner.  My oldest son is a picky eater and doesn't usually eat second helpings, but he always does with this dish!)

Spaghetti with Roasted Butternut Squash

Prep Time:  1 hour

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 bulb garlic, separated in cloves and peeled (halve large cloves)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
14 to 16 oz. package of whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
3 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Sliced green onions (optional)

1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.  In 15x10x1-inch baking pan toss together squash, peeled garlic cloves, oil, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.  Evenly spread squash in pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender and lightly browned.

2.  Meanwhile, cook spaghetti, with 1 Tbsp. of salt added to water, according to package directions.  Drain; keep warm.

3.  In small saucepan heat butter over medium heat until it turns the color of light brown sugar, stirring frequently.

4.  In serving bowl toss spaghetti with about half the browned butter.  Toss squash, garlic, bacon, nuts, and nutmeg with the remaining browned butter.  Serve squash mixture over spaghetti.  Sprinkle with green onions if desired.

 Makes 6 servings

(This recipe was in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine in September 2009.  I've tweaked it a little.)