Alphabet Soup

I loved this recipe. Everyone else was pretty meh about it, but I loved it and will definitely make it again, probably not on a night when Andrew and Dad are rushing out to Cub Scouts. I will offer extra dessert to anyone who can spell their name in the soup, and then eats it.

Real life. I don't believe in staging. Not pictured: the crying baby on my lap.

Alphabet Soup

from Happy Healthy Mama

2 T butter or oil

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 potato, diced

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 cup cauliflower florets, or 1 small red pepper, diced

2 quarts chicken of vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes, not drained

2 t salt

black pepper to taste

2 T tomato paste

1 cup small alphabet pasta (I used the Prince brand, 69 cents at my local grocery store)

1 cup frozen green peas

1 cup frozen corn kernels

In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté all veggies about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Add pasta and simmer 5 more minutes. Add peas and corn and heat through.

I made this in my instant pot since we cracked our stovetop. I sautéed all the veggies about 5 minutes, then added everything except the peas and corn (I decreased the broth to 6 cups) and cooked on high pressure for 6 minutes. Everything except the potatoes was a little overcooked, so I would try 5 minutes next time.  Let the pressure come down for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure. 

I served this with some delicious cornbread and it was a perfect meal, in my book, but I think you could easily brown some ground beef, turkey or sausage in step 1 or add some cooked chicken with the peas and corn for a meatier option. 

Vegetarian Asian Lettuce Wraps

This recipe is everything I'm looking for a dinner recipe. It's healthy, frugal, easy to prepare, and delicious.  This was my first time having lettuce wraps and they were good.  If the wraps aren't working though, I think you could just chop up the lettuce and have it as a salad. I thought her idea of serving it with egg fried quinoa was a great idea too, although I haven't tried it.

Asian Lettuce Wraps   from Super Healthy Kids

2 tsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced (or substitute dried)
3 cups black beans, rinsed (2 cans or about 1 1/3 cups dry)
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
3 green onions, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
one head bibb, iceberg, or romaine lettuce, washed and leaves separated


for the sauce:
4 T soy sauce
4T brown sugar
1/2 t. sesame oil
2 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 t fresh ginger, minced (or substitute dry)


Saute garlic, ginger, carrots, mushrooms and onion in oil, adding water if necessary,  until cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cilantro and beans and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add to saute pan (you may not need all of it) and bring to a boil. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves.

Roasted Vegetables

Roasting vegetables is quickly becoming one of my favorite methods of preparation. It's easy and the flavor and texture of the veggies is so much better than when they are boiled or steamed. To roast vegetables, simply cut them in pieces that are more or less the same size, drizzle olive oil over them, and sprinkle on some salt and pepper, or whatever spices you think would be good. Then place the pan in a very hot oven (400+ degrees) for 8-10 minutes, or however long you decides works best for your tastes.

Some of the best veggies for roasting:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Asparagus
Carrots
Parsnips
Sweet Potatoes

What would you try?

Recipe Review: Pineapple Pork Stir Fry

We tried this stir-fry from Taste of Home for dinner tonight and I'm glad we did. Overall, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. The mixture of vegetables was nice - I cut three carrots into thin strips and used a bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, half of a small onion (what was in the fridge) and the pineapple. I liked the sauce in that it wasn't too sweet, but Preston commented on how he preferred the sweetness of the sweet and sour pork recipe below. That being said, however, the sauce was a little spicy for my taste. Next time, I will probably just add a shake of cayenne pepper. Plus, I will probably only use about half of the sauce mixture. I don't like to drown my stir-frys in sauce, although a plus is that the sauce made the brown rice I served it with more palatable (I prefer brown rice, but hubby hasn't quite converted yet). I wasn't quite sure about the soaking the pork in the cornstarch mixture - I don't know that it really did much except make a mess on the bottom of the pan. Next time, I will probably skip that step. But, there will be a next time, so I consider it a success.

Just a note on stir-frying in general. I don't always follow a recipe - sometimes I just throw whatever vegetables are around and whatever protein is around together and serve it over rice. I also don't always make a sauce - sometimes I just want to taste the food as it is, although like I mentioned earlier, if you are trying to get used to the taste of brown rice or don't like vegetables, a sauce can help add a different flavor.

So, get your woks ready and try this one soon. It's a keeper!