Italian "Meatball" Soup

This is a great cold weather dish.  It's also a one-pot, super easy and healthy meal. 

Italian "Meatball" Soup

(adapted from here)

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 Tb olive oil
2 Tb tomato paste (no salt added)
4 garlic cloves, minced (or cheat like me and just scoop some out of the jar)
1 Tb oregano
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree
2 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cups water
16 fully cooked veggie meatballs (Morningstar makes awesome ones)
Sea reshly ground pepper to taste
Good Italian bread, cut into in to cubes
1Tb olive oil
Fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add vegetables.  Cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste, garlic and oregano and stir well.

Add tomatoes, broth and water and bring to a simmer.  Cut meatballs in half and add to soup.  Simmer for 10 minutes more and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425.  Toss bread cubes with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toasted bread cubes and chopped parsley and maybe a little (or a lot) of freshly grated parmesan.

I'm so bad about taking pics after I cook the food!  This is from the original website.

My Favorite Veggie Chili

This is hands down my favorite chili recipe.  Although I feel like it's a little different every time I make it, it's always good!  I may vary the veggies depending on what I have on hand and what's in season at the market, but this is the basic recipe I follow.  You may be skeptical of chili without meat, but I promise you won't miss it with all this other goodness.  Sometimes if Matt is wanting some "meat" in his chili, I'll add a cup or so of Boca crumbles.  The best part about this meal, it's done in the crock pot...a great fix-it-and-forget meal!

Veggie Chili

1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen edamame
2 heaping Tbs. minced garlic
20 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz. can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 packet chili seasoning mix
1/2 Tbs. paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
Salt/pepper to taste

Just mix everything in a large crock pot and cook on low for 6-7 hours.  That's it!  I like to eat mine with warm cornbread.  Matt likes his with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.  It's good both ways:)

Polenta and Veggie Foil Packs

I have never had polenta.  I didn't even know where to find it in the grocery store (by the pasta...at least at Whole Foods that's where it was).  Turns out it is considered a grain/starch as it is basically cornmeal.  It's kind of a weird texture and I was mildly amused by how it ooozed out of the tube.  It was good though, and I will most definitely be using it again.  Anyways, this is a nice little healthy recipe that is super tasty and relatively easy.  The clean up is great since you can just throw out the foil.  When Matt was grilling out his Sunday night steak, he threw a few of my packets on the grill.

Polenta and Veggie Packs

1 can white beans (navy or great Northern), rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, diced
6 oz package of crumbled feta
1 tube of polenta, cut into 12 slices
1 zucchini, sliced in rounds
1 jar roasted red peppers
Salt and pepper

Mix together beans, tomatoes and 1/2 of the feta in a bowl; set aside.  Take 4 pieces of foil (each one should be about 18 inches long) and fold in half.  Spray them with Pam.  Working with one piece of foil at a time, spoon 1/4 of bean mixture in center.  Layer 3 slices of polenta in an overlapping circle.  Top with a few zucchini slices and 1/4 of the roasted red peppers.  Sprinkle on some S&P.  Crumble a little more feta on top.  Do the same thing with the remaining foil pieces.  Fold up each packet and pinch the ends so it's fully closed.  Place on the heated grill and close lid.  Grill for about 10-12 minutes.  Carefully remove packets and stick one on each plate.  Open them up and dig in!