Sweet & Savory Monday ~~ Autumn Soup

A bowl of hot soup deserves a warm welcome on these cool, windy, rainy days! Paired up with bread, rolls, or crackers, your family or dinner guests will be happy diners.  I prepared this recipe in a crock pot, but it could be easily cooked on your stove top in a soup pan or saucepan.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. garlic, diced
• 2 Idaho Burbank Russet medium sized potatoes, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup corn
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 tsp. salt, optional
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 cup corkscrew noodles or variety of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

• Wash and prepare all veggies
• Place inside crock pot or soup pan/sauce pan
• Fill pan with enough water to cover vegetables
• Cook until vegetables are tender

Here's a nifty 90 idea if you are using your crock pot ~~

Whoever designed these crock pot liners deserves more than a High 5! Before placing the ingredients into your crock pot, place liner inside which helps to make clean up so much easier.

I prefer to make large batches of soups and stews so that I can have left overs. In addition, these containers of soup can be frozen in order to be heated and served at a later date.

This is a great way to get all of your daily servings of vegetables in one fell swoop!  Be creative and add your own favorite veggies.  Another health aspect of preparing your own recipe is the absence of preservatives.  

Enjoy Autumn's bounty and stay warm!

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Sweet & Savory Thursday ~~ Zucchini Boats

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large zucchinis 
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 - 15 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes or use fresh tomatoes 
• 1 - 15 oz. can cut green beans, drained, or use fresh green beans
• 1 - 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup minute rice
• Grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS: 

• Wash zucchinis and pat dry with paper towels.
• Brown hamburger, season to taste with salt and pepper (optional), drain and rinse.
• Return hamburger to skillet and add tomatoes and both kind of beans.
• Add 1 cup of water.
• Bring mixture to a boil and add 1/2 cup of minute rice.
• Cover and cook until rice is tender.
• Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
• Fill zucchinis with beef mixture.
• Place a small amount of water in bottom of baking pan before placing zucchinis inside to bake.
• Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
• Sprinkle with grated cheese.
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Can be served with or without the outside zucchini skin.
• This is a great way to make use of zucchini that has grown too large if you normally prefer them in a smaller size.
• Very tasty with garlic or regular french bread.

I grew the zucchinis in my horse trough and my friend Bobbie contributed the recipe. Teamwork makes it happen!

For additional information on horse trough gardening, please check out Straight From The Horse's Trough in my Etsy shop.  Thanks!

Happy cooking & dining!

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