Salsa Soup

This is one of my favorite summertime meals.  I buy most everything from the farmer's market.  Though this year I have grown my own jalapenos!  I am very excited about this.  If my current job does not work out, I'll be a farmer.  Ha ha


The basic recipe came from Cookshelf Soup cookbook.  I have modified it.  You can use any colored peppers.  I add additional seasonings, but it's hot stuff that I have on hand.  This is enough soup to be my lunch for a entire week.  Or I eat it for dinner.  Sometimes I have chips or crusty bread with it.  Some avocado would also be good.  

2 large ears of corn

1-3 T olive oil 

2 green peppers

2 jalapenos peppers

1 onion (I use a red one as I like lots of colors)

3 or 4 tomatoes, skinned, chopped

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t crushed red pepper

1/2 c water

2 or 3 c low sodium tomato juice

salt and pepper

Boil water.  Add tomato and cook for 20 seconds.  Take out tomato and skin.  Then chop.  

Chop the peppers and onion.  Cut corn kernels from the cob.

Heat oil in saucepan over a medium-high heat.  Add the peppers and cook, stirring briskly for 3 minutes.  Add onion and continue cooking 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, corn, and chili powder.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.  Pour in the water and when it bubbles, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the peppers are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer mixture to a large container and stir in the tomato juice.  Add more chili powder if desired.  Cover and refrigerate until cold.  

Enjoy!  

Christine 

Vegetable Lasagna at the Beach

My wonderful, extended family and some of their friends (27 total) went last week to the Outer Banks on vacation.  We rented a huge house ocean front.  Everyone takes a turn cooking. Had Thanksgiving dinner/ham/tenderloin one night.  Enchiladas another.  Grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken too.  Then my turn came up.  What better to feed everyone than lasagna. There were actually 3 lasagnas, with a seafood one, and a traditional one.  Other talented chefs made those.  


I always add a jalapeno to my to make it a bit spicier.  Also, all the vegetables ensures leftovers, cause what kid will eat all these?  Well, not many kids that were with us.  Special thanks to Olivia and Maddie, my little cousins, for helping.  (Short of chopping, they did most of the work.)  


2 green zucchini chopped
2 yellow squash chopped
1 head of broccoli chopped/box frozen (prepare according to directions)
1 15 oz box of frozen spinach (prepare according to directions)
2/3 tomatoes
1 green pepper chopped
1 yellow or orange pepper chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped
1 jar tomato sauce
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 package of mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1 package of cooked lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  After cutting vegetables, put into pan with a little olive oil and heat.  Mix the ricotta cheese and egg, along with some mozzarella.  Put some sauce on bottom of 9" by 13" pan.  Put down 3 noodles across.  Then cheese on top of noodles.  Put a little pasta sauce on top of the cheese.  Use vegetables instead of meat sauce.  Repeat until down with ingredients.  Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes covered.  Uncover and cook an additional 20 minutes.  

Enjoy,
Christine