Homemade Ready

I’m very big on any kind of soup, stew or chili, especially in the fall. Nothing says home and hearth to me more than a big, steamy pot of goodness. Rich broth and slow-cooked vegetables are comfort in a bowl and perfect to warm you right up on a cool autumn day.  When it comes to chili, I usually like to make it very thick and hearty. This turkey chili, however, is a little lighter and a little bit like a soup. It has some extra vegetables, too, in case you have have any late zucchini or peppers you’re currently harvesting from your summer garden. In this recipe, I've used canned beans, but you can substitute 3 cups of your own home-cooked or home-canned beans. Turkey Chili Soup with Garden Vegetables 4-6 Servings Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound lean ground turkey 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 bell peppers (any color), diced 1 jalapeno, finely diced 1 large zucchini, diced 2 tablespoons chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cum...

A simple combination of ground meat, tomato sauce or ketchup, and some seasonings, this sandwich is a classic that may just remind you of childhood (and for good reason - it seems like almost all kids love it). The Sloppy Joe’s sandwich is also perfect for back-to-school season because it is just so quick and easy to prepare after a long day at work or school, and is also so warm and cozy for the cooler weather. Now, you could buy a jar of premade sauce, but why spend the extra cash when it's so easy to make this from items you already have in your pantry or fridge? It’s a forgiving recipe, too. I prefer a mix of ketchup and plain tomato sauce, but you can easily use all of one or the other, depending on what you have on-hand. Recipe 4-6 Servings Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil 1 ¼ pound lean ground beef or turkey 1 small onion, diced ¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper ¾ cup tomato sauce ¾ cup ketchup ¼ cup water 3 tablespoons...

I just love beans, I really do. They are a good source of plant-based protein, with the added bonuses of being tasty and economical. While I always keep beans on hand in my pantry in both canned and dried versions, my favorite approach to cooking with beans is to cook dried beans in big batches, then store them in smaller, convenient portions in my freezer.  I find this to be a cheap and easy way to have quick access to beans for use in soups, stews, chili, side dishes, salads, and for stretching out the ground meat in recipes. The thing I wonder, though, is how did cooking dried beans get to be such a controversial and (unnecessarily) complicated subject? Although grannies and cowboy cooks have been cooking and eating beans as a staple food for many long years, this practice has become something that now seems to intimidate many home cooks.  It’s understandable why this is, however, when you read the many conflicting articles out there about the hows and whys of cook...

I find that ground beef recipes are always real time-savers in the kitchen, and frequently turn to them when I need to get something on the table fast. And while ground beef isn't super-cheap the way it has been in days gone by (and this is probably a good thing), when you make it casserole-style, or serve it with a pile of rice and vegetables, it can still be a frugal meal. Ground beef recipes tend to be flexible, too, so if beef isn't your thing, or you don't have any on hand, you can always substitute another ground meat, like turkey or lamb. You can often even make a decent vegetarian meal from a ground beef recipe by substituting cooked lentils, or another meat substitute.  This easy recipe is one of my quick and easy favorites. It's my take on a traditional ground beef and tomato stew that is found in various Latin American countries and Spain. The way I do it is Cuban-style, using raisins for a bit of sweetness, olives for some saltiness, and the cla...

Tomato paste is an essential part of my pantry storage. It gives great, concentrated tomato flavor to so many recipes, but only takes up only a little bit of space on the shelf. The down side of tomato paste, of course, is the waste. It’s only very rarely that I will use an entire six-ounce can of tomato paste in one recipe (mainly spaghetti sauce and big pots of chili). Of course, you can buy one of those four or five-ounce tubes of tomato paste, store it in the fridge, and use a tablespoon or two here and there. This just isn’t a solution that appeals much to me. I just can’t feel good about buying those little tubes of paste because the cost per ounce is so much higher than the cans. At Target, for example, a 4.5-ounce tube of Amore Tomato Paste is $2.87, or $0.63 per ounce. By comparison, a 6-ounce can of Hunt’s Tomato Paste is $0.64, or roughly $0.10 per ounce. That is a huge difference in price! It’s a convenience I’m just not willing to pay for. (Note, if you want eve...

"Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish, Game, or any other dish? Who would not give all else for two Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup? Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?" -Lewis Carroll A steamy bowl of soup for supper on a cold winter evening is truly a beautiful thing. When it's made in a slow cooker, with only minimal effort, it's even better. This time of year is the worst for me - the short, chilly days, and long, dark nights. Even in the deep south, we get more cold weather than suits my taste. Plus, let's be honest here, as much as I love the holidays, they can be exhausting. There is the cooking, the shopping, parties, visiting with family and friends. I'm really just now starting to recover. My energy is low and something easy, homey and comforting is exactly what I crave. This French onion soup recipe totally fits the bill. It's rich and velvety, and so simple to prepare - throw it all in the slow cooker, and let it simmer away all day. Th...