Beefy Minestrone

Okay, okay...I know that your typical minestrone doesn't contain meat and therefore shouldn't be "beefy". But when you have a husband who thinks a meal is only a meal if it contains some sort of meat product, well, you have to make certain concessions. Therefore, this is the perfect recipe to use up last night's leftover steak or roast to make something flavorful, healthful, and delicious.

½ onion, chopped 

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

10-15 baby carrots, chopped

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can (14-oz) diced tomatoes (with Italian herbs)

1 can (14-oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (15-oz) dark red kidney beans

½ cup red wine

6 cups chicken broth

1 cup lean steak, diced

1 cup pasta (egg noodles, elbow macaroni, shells – all work well)

In a large crockpot, combine all ingredients except pasta. Cook on low 5-7 hours. Add pasta for the last 10-15 minutes of cook time, until noodles are tender but not overcooked.

Dill Drumettes with Lemony Aritchokes

Great for an appetizer or main dish, try these drumettes in lieu of chicken breasts at your next BBQ! (The marinade would also go great with salmon!) Also check out the bonus recipe below for lemony artichokes that will delight even non-veggie lovers.

1-2 lbs. chicken drumettes 

Salt & pepper

¼ cup orange juice

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. dill

4 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread drumettes on greased cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper. Stir orange juice, lemon juice, and dill into melted butter. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for serving. Brush marinade onto one side of the drumettes. Bake for 20 minutes, flip, and brush with remaining marinade; bake for an additional 20 minutes, until chicken is caramelized and cooked through. Serve with reserved marinade.

Lemony Artichokes

                             

1-4 whole artichokes

1 lemon, ½ quartered, the other half reserved

Salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 T. butter, melted

Boil a large pot of water; add salt and lemon quarters. Trim the top ¾-inches off of the artichokes; cut off stem and peel away any wilted leaves. Boil artichokes 30-40 minutes, covered, until leaves pull away easily.

Stir garlic powder and the juice of the remaining lemon half into melted butter; serve artichoke leaves with butter sauce for dipping.

Almost Scratch "No Chunks" Tomato Sauce

A good tomato sauce is the key to so many Italian dishes. When I'm in a hurry, I stick with my simple, "No Chunks" Tomato Sauce, but if I have time for slow cooking, the flavors of this "almost" from scratch sauce cannot be beat. (I say almost because I still used canned tomato sauce, not whole tomatoes) Since I prefer my sauce "chunkless" I use my handy immersion blender at the end of the cooking process for a smooth texture. While I often use Italian sausage, this sauce would be equally good with ground beef or turkey, or even meatless. 

2-3 ribs celery, chopped 

1 red onion, diced

1-2 carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. butter

Salt & pepper

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. basil

½ - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 (28-oz) cans tomato sauce

½ cup red wine

1 tsp. sugar

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

Saute celery, onion, carrots, and garlic in butter until softened; season with salt and pepper. Add Italian seasoning, basil, and red pepper flakes; stir to coat vegetables. Add tomato sauce, wine, and sugar and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer 2-3 hours. (Can also be cooked in a Crockpot for 4-6 hours)

Brown sausage in a skillet. While sausage cooks, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce. (If you do not have an immersion blender, mix, in batches, in a regular blender) Add browned sausage to sauce; simmer 5-10 minutes more. Serve with preferred pasta.

Strawberry-Balsamic Salad

Create a fresh summer lunch or side dish with this sweet and savory salad. Add as much or as little of each ingredient as you like to make it yours. 

Green or red leaf lettuce (or your favorite), torn into bite-sized leaves

Balsamic dressing

Strawberries, sliced

Craisins

Blue cheese crumbles

Chopped walnuts

Toss all ingredients together in desired amounts.