Onion Soup Mix

8 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Blend everything together well. Use as needed for your recipe.
Equals one packet of dry onion soup mix for use in recipes.

This recipe is from angelaskitchen.com

Italian Chicken Soup

1 1/4 lbs. raw chicken tenderloin, cut into chunks
32 oz. chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced small
2 bell peppers, diced small
2 stalks celery, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (with basil, garlic, and oregano)
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. Penne pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Add all ingredients (except cream, pasta, and cheese) to slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Stir cream and pasta into hot soup.

Serve topped with Parmesan.

Jalepeno Lime Chicken Wings

6 lbs. chicken wings
6 jalapeno peppers (seeded and chopped into chunks)
1/2 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. coconut aminos or soy sauce
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
3 tsp. ground cumin
juice of 6 limes

Put the following ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth: jalapenos, coconut oil, soy sauce, garlic, cumin, lime juice.

Distribute the chicken wings between two gallon freezer bags and pour half the marinade over the chicken into each bag. Seal and shake to coat the chicken. Let marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning once to redistribute marinade.

Preheat oven to 400.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack or baking rack on the cookie sheet.

Place the wings on the rack and bake 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, turn the wings over.

Increase the oven temp to 425. Return wings to oven and bake an additional 30 minutes or until well browned and cooked through.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. cooked ground beef
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 c. red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. tomato paste (I used the kind with garlic, basil, and oregano)
1 c. water
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer at least 20 minutes or longer, until sauce reaches desired thickness. Makes 3-4 cups of sauce.

Mild Taco Seasoning

1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Stir seasoning and 1/2 c. water into 1 to 1 1/2 c. browned or steamed ground meat. Simmer and stir until liquid is absorbed/evaporated.

Turkey Penne Pasta

For the pasta:

1/4 tsp. salt

8 oz. whole grain penne pasta (I used Barilla)

Bring a pot of water seasoned with salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook about 7 minutes (a few minutes short of the al dente directions on the box because the pasta will continue to cook in the oven). While pasta is cooking, work on veggies and meat. When it is done, add to bowl with veggies and meat.

For the veggies:

½ c. cubed squash (butternut, zucchini, yellow)

3/4 of a large onion cut in 1 in. pieces

1 large bell pepper cut in 1 in. pieces

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 ½ tsp. olive oil

1/8 tsp. oregano

1/8 tsp. salt

Place veggies in gallon sized ziplock freezer bag, pour in oil and add seasonings. Shake vigorously to coat veggies. Pour out on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes until veggies are cooked through but still firm. Prepare meat while veggies are roasting, then add veggies to bowl with meat.

For the meat:

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1/8 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1 Tbsp. tomato paste (I used the kind with garlic, basil, and oregano)

¼ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. minced garlic

¼ c. minced fresh onion (use the rest of the whole onion in the veggies)

Mix all ingredients and brown in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Set aside in large bowl for mixing with other ingredients.

Finish.

Stir together the meat, veggies, and pasta.

Add:

2 cups bottled marinara sauce (I used Wild Oats Organic Marinara)

1 ½ c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Stir well and transfer into a 9x13 baking dish.

Top with ½ c. Parmesan cheese

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Makes 6 hearty servings, 434 calories each.

This is a lightened up, healthier version of Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables.

Carrot Cake

2 c. sugar

1 1/3 c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 pound carrots, grated*

1 c. raisins

1 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9x2 in) round cake pans.

Beat sugar, eggs, and oil on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. 

In another bowl, mix 2 c. flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients to mixture.

In another bowl, toss the carrots, raisins, walnuts, and the 1 Tbsp. of flour. Stir into batter with a spatula.

Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes more, until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool in pans for 15 minutes, turn out on baking rack, and cool completely.

Frost with Cream Cheese Icing.

*This recipe is from Ina Garten’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. Ina recommends grating the carrots by hand on a box grater because she says food processing them will cause the carrots to be too wet and the cake might fall. I bought the bagged prepared julienned carrots and ran a knife through them several times to make a very fine dice, and that worked fine.