BBQ Chili Pasta

8 oz rotelle or wagon wheel pasta
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
8 oz ground turkey breast
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped green pepper
1 11-oz can sweet corn, drained
chili powder to taste
1 tbsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
1 19-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
¾ cup of your favorite bottled barbecue sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook until just softened, 1-2 minutes. Add ground turkey; cook until no longer pink, 3-4 minutes. Stir in green pepper, corn, chili powder, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers begin to soften, 5-6 minutes. Stir in kidney beans, tomato sauce and barbecue sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Combine reserved pasta with turkey mixture. Serve immediately, for 6.

Beer-Cheese and Crawfish Soup

Sauté in butter:
2 finely chopped onions
Add:
2 lbs cooked crawfish tails
3 pints heavy cream
2 pints clam juice
2 qt cheddar cheese

Bring to a boil.

Add:
1 tbsp each of nutmeg, white pepper, garlic powder
cayenne pepper to taste
1 qt of your favorite light (as in not dark) beer

Simmer slowly for 30 minutes.

Creamy Spicy Eggplant Soup

1 5½-lb eggplant
2 cups warm water with 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups chopped onion
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper
3 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
¼ tsp (or more to taste) cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ cup freshly minced parsley

for topping:
sour cream
finely minced tomato and bell pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise. Lightly salt each open side, and let sit about 15 minutes to sweat away its bitter juices. Rinse, pat dry, and brush the cut sides with olive oil. Bake 30-40 minutes face down on a lightly greased tray. Cool until you can handle it. Scoop out the pulp, discard the skins.
Sauté the garlic and onions in 1 tbsp olive oil with the salt until onions caramelize. Add a dash of black pepper. Purée together (in blender) eggplant pulp, vegetable stock and onion/garlic mixture. Put purée in saucepan; cover and heat gently. When soup is hot whisk in tahini, sour cream and cayenne until mixture is smooth. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in parsley right before serving and top each bowl of soup with sour cream and minced tomatoes and peppers.
This recipe should be eaten the same day as it's made and not stored. Makes about 4 servings.

Easy Chili

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 can bite size tomatoes
2 cans undrained red kidney beans
1 15-oz. can V8 vegetable juice
1 cup diced green peppers
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
chili powder, to taste (at least 3 tsp)
3-4 tbsp ketchup

In skillet, cook meat; drain. Put into soup pot; add all ingredients except kidney beans. Cook slowly until celery is tender. Add beans and simmer for one hour.

Sweet Corn Chili

1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 ½ cups chopped onion
3 tbsp oil
2 green (or yellow for a sweeter crunch) peppers, chopped
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 or more tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28-oz can whole tomatoes
2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained
1 28-oz package frozen corn (or my favorite substitution, 2 11-oz cans of sliced carrots, drained)

Brown the beef in a frying pan over medium heat. Meanwhile, in a soup pot, sauté the onions in the oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the chopped peppers and garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Once the meat browns, drain the fat and add the meat to the onion mixture. Lower the heat, add the seasonings, tomatoes, beans and corn (or carrots). Stir well, cover, and simmer for ½ hour. Tastes awesome served with cornbread. Serves 8-10.

Tomato Bisque Soup

¼ lb butter
½ medium onion, finely chopped
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 qt whole milk, warmed
1 46-oz can tomato juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 28-oz cans tomatoes, peeled and diced
¾ tsp ground oregano
dash of white pepper
½ cup sugar, optional
¾ tsp salt

In a large soup pot, sauté onions in butter over medium heat until transparent. Sift in the flour, stirring vigorously and constantly. Whisk in warmed milk until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Add the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and diced tomatoes, again stirring constantly just to a boil. Stirring, slowly add the rest of the ingredients and bring back to a boil. Serve, makes approximately 1 gallon. Can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Back to Recipes Page
Back to Land of Ummy Wuzzies