Cajun Beans & Rice

This meal is hearty and tasty, and just overall satisfying.  Enjoy!

Adapted from My Food Storage Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 lb black beans
• 1/2 large onion, chopped -or- 4 T. dried onions
• 1/2 c. green bell pepper, chopped -or- 1/4 c. dehydrated
• 1 t. celery seeds
• 1.5 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. garlic salt
• 1/2 t. Worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 t. hot sauce
• 1 T. beef bouillon
• 1/4 c. bacon bits
• 4 chicken sausages, sliced
• 1 t. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 t. creole seasoning
• 4 c. water

Directions:

     Sort and rinse beans.  Place in a large soup pot and cover with water.  Allow to soak overnight; or bring to a boil for 2 minutes on the stove, then cover and let sit for 1 hour.  Drain beans well.  Add prepared beans and remaining ingredients, including the 4 c. clean water.  Stir well and bake in oven at 275 for 3 hours, or in a crockpot on low for 8 hours.  Serve warm over a bowl of rice, and a side salad.

Orange Chicken/Beef (food storage version)

I would like to play with this recipe a bit more...  Not sure how I feel about the green chilies, and it could definitely use more of a sweeter orange flavor.  I'll keep you posted!

Adapted from My Food Storage Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 T. coconut oil
• 2 cans of chicken/beef, drained
• 1 can of mushrooms, drained
• 1 small can green chiles (opt)
• 1 c. dehydrated stir-fry veggies
• 3 T. soy sauce
• 3-4 T. brown sugar/molasses
• 2-4 T. frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 T. bouillon
• 2 T. dried orange peel
• 1/4 t. ginger
• 1/2 t. garlic
• 1/4 t. red pepper flakes (opt)
• 3/4 t. sesame seeds (opt)
• 1 1/2 c. rice/quinoa
• 4 c. water

Directions:

     Place all of the ingredients into a crockpot and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or until rice/quinoa is cooked.  Serve warm with a side salad.

Chicken Cacciatore

This is simple, and good!  It's simply good ;)

Adapted from My Food Storage Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken thighs -or- 1 can of chicken, drained
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced -or- 1/2 c. dried, rehydrated
• 1 can mushrooms, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 T. coconut oil
• 2 T. dried onions
• 1-2 T. brown sugar
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. chicken bouillon
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 t. basil
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. crushed red pepper
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese -or- prepared polenta

Directions:

    Place all ingredients, except for parmesan/polenta, in a crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken and stir in parmesan/polenta.  Serve over herbed polenta.

Tuna Marinara

Ever since we wrapped up our 72 hour kits, I've had food storage on the brain.  I've put together 7 weeks' worth of meals, and I'm now in the process of converting some family favorites into food-storage-friendly recipes.  This recipe was the first one I experimented with, and it is was a HUGE success!  I got the basic recipe from my friend, and I've tweaked it to our tastes/preferences...

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 2 (7 oz) cans of tuna, drained
• 1 T. Italian seasoning
• 1 T. basil
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• 4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
• salt, to taste
• 5 (14.5 oz) cans of stewed tomatoes, Italian style
• 1 can black olives, drained & chopped
• 1 T. beef bouillon
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 generous handful flat-leaf parsley, minced

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring olive oil to a simmer.  Add seasonings, tuna, and garlic and return to a simmer.  Cook until garlic is tender, stirring occasionally (careful not to burn garlic).
2. Add stewed tomatoes, olives, bouillon and brown sugar; stir well.  Remove from heat and transfer to crockpot.
3. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Add flat-leaf parsley to pot and stir well.  Serve over prepared pasta.

Ok, here's the deal.  I realize how scary tuna marinara might sound.  Let me just say that we are not a tuna family, and everyone loved this!  Seriously, me and the hub were eating the sauce straight from the pot with a spoon.  That's how you know it's good.  *B

Crockpot Teriyaki

Not much to say here, except that this recipe is easy peasy (as my son would say) and tasty, too!  Complete with no complaints from the kids, only compliments ;)

Adapted from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 T. coconut oil
• 8 chicken thighs
• 1/2  c. + 2 T. brown sugar
• 3/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
• 6 T. apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 t. ground ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 t. pepper
• handful of baby carrots, quartered
• handful of fresh snap peas, ends trimmed
• 1 can of sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 handful of cabbage/lettuce, chopped
• 4 1/2 t. cornstarch
• 4 1/2 t. cold water

Directions:

1. Preheat crockpot on high.  Add coconut oil to crockpot and let it melt.
2. Combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper until well combined.
3. Place chicken in crockpot.  Pour soy sauce mixture over chicken.  Place vegetables on top.  Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until simmering.
4. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1-2 hours longer.
5. Remove chicken and veggies from crockpot and set aside.  Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl and set aside.
6. Pour sauce contents from crockpot into a saucepan and bring to boil.  Add cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened.
7. Serve with brown rice.  Enjoy!

Feel free to omit the veggies from the crock and cook up your own assortment as a side dish.  Leftover chicken would make for a great Asian salad, or even lettuce wraps!  *B

Balsamic Chicken w/ Quinoa

I love balsamic vinegar!  I don't know if it's due to my Italian heritage or not, but I could practically drink the stuff.  My husband is the complete opposite.  He doesn't care for tomatoes, or anything too acidic.  Makes me wonder about my pH levels...  Anyway, we both love this dish.  It does a great job of uniting all taste-buds ;)

Adapted from Dishing with Leslie

Ingredients:

• 2 T. oil (olive/coconut)
• 6-8 chicken thighs/breasts
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 T. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced OR 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 handfuls of spinach, chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
• 2 t. chicken bouillon
• 1 c. quinoa
• 2 c. chicken broth

Directions:

1. Add oil to crock pot and place chicken on top.  Combine spices and sprinkle over chicken.
2. Top chicken with minced garlic, sliced onion, chopped spinach and can of tomatoes.
3. Combine chicken bouillon w/ balsamic vinegar, and pour on top.
4. Cover and cook on high for 3.5 hours.  Reduce heat to low and cook for another 30 minutes.
5. While chicken cooks, prepare quinoa:  Bring chicken broth and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.
6. Serve chicken over prepared quinoa.  Enjoy!

This makes a lot of sauce, and the quinoa does a great job of soaking it up.  I like to save any remaining sauce and freeze it to use as a thin pasta sauce later.  I'm sure it would be an awesome addition to soup, too (think minestrone).   Or if you're like me, you could always just drink it.  *B

Coq Sans Vin

When I was newly married I would happily go through my Betty Crocker cookbook (a wedding gift), select a recipe and experiment on my new husband.  This dish was one of the first I tried in our itty bitty kitchen, and I've been cooking it ever since.  Whenever we had people over for dinner, we served this.  Whenever I wanted to impress the in-laws, I'd make this.  I've tweaked it a bit each time, getting closer and closer to perfection...  And I am happy to report that it is has indeed been perfected :)

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 6-8 chicken thighs, rinsed and dried
• 1 c. flour (make it GF by using equal parts sorghum, tapioca and brown rice flour)
• 2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/2 onion, chopped/sliced
• 6 carrots, scrubbed & cut into fourths (baby carrots work great, too)
• 4 - 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 8 slices of bacon OR 2 chicken sausage links, diced
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. dried parsley (opt)
• 1 bay leaf (opt)

Directions:

1. Combine flour, 2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper into a large ziplock bag.  Add chicken and coat evenly in flour mixture.  Remove chicken and set aside.  And throw that nasty bag away!
2. Heat a large cast iron pot over medium heat.  Cook bacon/sausage until done.  Remove from pot and set aside.
3. Allow pot to get nice and hot and add the dredged chicken in single layers.  Cook for two minutes per side, or until brown.  Remove chicken from pot and set aside.
4. Add onions, carrots and mushrooms to pot.  Cook for one minute, add garlic and cook for a minute longer.
5. Add chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, 1/2 t. salt and thyme.  Stir well.
6. Place chicken on top and sprinkle with bacon.  Remove from heat.  Cover pot and place in a 275 degree oven.
7. For every pound of chicken, cook for 1 - 1.5 hours.  So if you have 3 pounds of chicken, cook for 3 - 4.5 hours.
8. Remove from oven and serve with mashed potatoes.  You can use the liquid straight from the pot, or you can make a killer gravy with it.
9. Another option is to let it sit overnight in the fridge and serve it the next day.  This allows the fat to raise to the service and solidify, making it easier to remove before reheating.  That is, if you want to...

The original recipe is called "Coq Au Vin" which is French for "chicken with wine".  As you may have noticed, my recipe does not use wine.  That's where the extra cup of chicken broth, plus the apple cider vinegar, comes from.  That's my secret wine substitute.  And I will have you know that both of my parents speak French, one lived in Quebec while the other lived in France, and both think this dish is awesome!  So there.  *B

The Best Pot Roast, Ever

I think it's every woman's dream to serve the perfect pot roast.  Correct me if I'm wrong!  But really, there's no better way to impress the men, or children, in your life than to have a flavorful and fall apart roast in your cooking arsenal.  And this recipe, it's my atomic bomb ;)

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds of chuck roast (no substitution)
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1.5 t. salt, divided
• 1/2 t. pepper
• olive oil
• 1-2 onions, cut into fourths
• 8 carrots, scrubbed (not peeled) and cut into fourths
• 1 celery stalk, cut into fourths
• 2 c. beef broth, divided
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 large mushrooms (opt)

Directions:

1. Heat stock pot over medium-high heat.  Cover bottom of pot with olive oil.
2. Combine flour, 1t. salt and pepper.  Coat all sides of roast.  Set aside.
3. Sear onions on both sides.  Remove and set aside.
4. Throw in carrots and celery and brown for about one minute.  Add mushrooms and brown for another minute or two.  Remove veggies and set aside.
5. Add more oil if needed.  Allow pot to get really hot, then sear roast on all sides.  Remove and set aside.
6. Combine 1 c. beef broth with balsamic vinegar.  Deglaze stock pot.
7. Remove from heat.  Return roast to stock pot, then add the vegetables.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour on top.  Cover and cook in 275 degree oven for 3-5 hours.  No peaking!
8. Remove celery and rosemary stalks.  Serve with mashed potatoes.

Just a note:  I've tried this same recipe in a crockpot and it just doesn't hold a candle to the stock pot version.  I mean, the flavor is amazing.  But, no matter how low/long I cook the meat, it's never as tender than when it's cooked in the oven...

Seeing as this is a Fall favorite, I think it's appropriate I mention one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies: Practical Magic.  "There are some things I know for certain: always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can."  Dried rosemary is just not the same as fresh rosemary...  So plant some rosemary, if anything just to make this pot roast!  And you'll fall in love with it every time.  *B

Barbacoa Beef

So, I'm not a huge fan of meat.  But, I do like me some shredded beef every now and then.  I especially love Chipotle, yum!  This recipe is pretty yum, too ;)

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 c. salsa
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 medium lime, juice
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce (or to taste)
• 1 t. adobo sauce
• 1 T. ground cumin
• 1 T. ground oregano
• 1/2 t. ground cloves
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 T. brown sugar/honey
• 3 bay leaves OR 3/4 t. thyme

Directions:

1. Trim meat of fat, then cut into 4 inch chunks.
2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a little oil and sear/brown meat on all sides.  Place meat in crock pot.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender (except bay leaves); blend until smooth.
4. Pour sauce over meat and add bay leaves.  Turn crock pot on low and cook for 6-8 hours.
5. Shred beef and allow to simmer in juices, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
6. Serve with pico de gaillo, guacamole, roasted corn, and sauteed onions & green peppers.

Brad likes to eat his barbacoa as a salad.  I like mine in some corn tortillas.  Either way, it's darn tasty!  *B

Awesome Meatless Chili

Here's the deal about protein: it all comes down to complete vs. incomplete.  A complete protein contains all the essential amino acids our bodies need.  An example of a complete protein would be meat or dairy.  An incomplete protein still contains amino acids, just not all of them.  So any of your grains, legumes, nuts/seeds would fall under that category.  But here's the magical part: by pairing certain incomplete proteins together (whether in a single meal or throughout your day), you create a complete protein!

What I love best about this chili is that it's full of flavor, complex carbs, protein and fiber (thanks to beans and lentils).  Serve it up with some crushed tortilla chips and a side of cornbread and voila! a complete protein.  It's a super powerhouse meal that makes for a happy mouth and a happy bowel ;) 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can worth of prepared brown lentils, rinsed & cooked (about 1/2 c. dry)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes, pureed
• 1 can worth of frozen corn (or drain a can of corn... I just prefer the flavor of frozen)
• 1 1/2 cans worth of water
• 1/2 onion, chopped -or- 1-2 T. dried onions
• 1 t. garlic, minced -or- 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 T. chili powder (1/2 t. if chili powder is spicy)
• 1 T. cumin
• 1 T. beef bouillon
• 1-2 T. brown sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:  Place all ingredients in a slowcooker and stir well.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Enjoy!  I know your heart will.  *B

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Oh how I love slow cooker meals! Especially when they call for minimal (and cheap) ingredients ;)

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken breasts/thighs (basically, 1-2 per person)
• 1/2 c. your choice BBQ sauce*
• 1/2 small/medium onion, chopped OR 1 T. dried onions

Directions:
1. Place chicken in the crockpot and top with sauce* and chopped onion. Add a splash of water if needed. Cook on low for 6 hours.
2. Shred chicken before serving on buns.

*Use as much sauce as you deem necessary. This could mean half a bottle, slightly watered down... or a full bottle, depending on how saucy you want it. And of course it depends on what size the bottle of sauce is. Also, this recipe would go GREAT with some Spiced Fries - especially if those fries are sweet potatoes! *B

Beef Stroganoff (slow cooker)

Sorry I didn't get this out sooner... it is pretty basic though. So I'm just going to write this as we made it and feel free to make your own substitutions (for the mushrooms, dairy and noodles).

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb lean beef stewing meat, trimmed of fat and sliced
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• black pepper, to taste
• 3 cans of mushrooms (or 1 lb fresh)
• 1 can cream of 'shroom soup
• 1/2 c. beef broth (this is because our meat was frozen and the liquid that was bound to melt was enough for the dish... the original recipe called for 1 cup)
• 1 c. plain yogurt (or fat-free/fat-full sour cream)

Directions:
1. Combine everything but the dairy in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (frozen or unfrozen alike).
3. Stir in dairy and serve warm.
4. Serve with cooked whole wheat pasta or brown rice (or no-yolk noodles).

Simple Chicken (slow cooker)

A while ago I bought this little magazine-booklet that was all about slow cooker recipes. It's wonderful! And here's one of them. This is planned for Friday, 2 February (or a day later, as mentioned in the planner). Dang ginas, there's only three recipes and four steps!

Ingredients:

• 4 frozen chicken breasts
• 1 package dry Italian dressing mix
• 1 c. warm water OR chicken broth

Directions:
1. Place chicken in cooker.
2. Sprinkle dressing mix on top.
3. Pour water/broth over chicken; cover.
4. Cook on low 8-10 hours.

*Serve with Quick & Fancy Broccoli and some rice if you'd like.

Italian Garden Veggie Minestrone

I loooove this one. It's my kind of comfort food. Who needs chicken friend steak and mashed potatoes when you can have this (and not the added inches to your waistline!)! Need I mention it's a slow cooker recipe! Yup, definitely a favorite...

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
  
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 can mushrooms OR 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 yellow squash, chopped
• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 c. chicken broth
• 1 c. bell peppers, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Italian Seasoning, to taste
• Dried Basil, to taste
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients except dried herbs and cheese in crock pot; cook on low for 6 hours.
2. Stir in dried herbs into pot for last 15-20 minutes.
3. Cook pasta in separate pot. The point of this is for leftover purposes. You can cook pasta with the crockpot, but they may end up too soft or too hard upon serving. But if you let the pasta sit overnight inside the soup, they expand and you end up with goulash.
3. Serve; add pasta to each bowl and top with Parmesan.


VERSION 1.3

PS- this is minestrone people, so keep that in mind when you cook and add the pasta. However, if you're not concerned with the diet, then you could morph this into a pasta dish. Just omit the broth and make it into a sauce and serve on top of pasta. You may want to add some bouillon to the sauce; taste test it first.

Time Saver: as you cook the pasta, make enough for tonight and for tomorrow's pasta bake.

Hot Minty Malts

Another new and exciting recipe! I cannot wait for the holiday meals I have planned! Yummy! And they're so fun, it's sure to make the holidays special! Yay for holidays and all that they embody!

Ingredients:

• 6 chocolate-covered, cream-filled mint patties
• 5 c. milk
• 1/2 c. chocolate malted milk powder
• 1 t. vanilla
• whipped cream

Directions:
1. In crock-pot, combine mint patties with milk, malt powder and vanilla.
2. Heat on low for 2 hours.
3. Beat with mixer until frothy.
4. Pour into cups and top with whipped cream (preferably fresh).
5. Serve with Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes for breakfast. What a treat, eh?!

Hot Caramel Apples

This just sounded too good and festive to pass up! I haven't tried it yet either, but I am dang excited! This would be real good served with some vanilla ice cream (Breyer's) or egg nog, or both! Yay for Christmas and the absence of scales and inhibitions!

Ingredients:

• 4 large tart apples, cored
• 8 T. brown sugar
• 4 T. butter
• 1/4 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. apple juice
• 12 red-hot candies
• 8 caramels

Directions:
1. Peel about 3/4 inches off the top of each apple; place in crock-pot.
2. Pour juice over apples.
3. Fill the center of each apple with 2 T. sugar, three red-hots, 1 T. butter and two caramels.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon; cover.
5. Cook on low 4-6 hours or until the apples are tender.
6. Eat your dinner! Now you may proceed to the next step.
7. Serve cooked the bound-to-be-delish apples with toasted nuts/oatmeal.

Chicken Crock Pie

This is one of my very favorite slow cooker recipes. You can complete this meal one of three ways. A) with a pie shell: after filling is cooked, top with frozen pie shell (can be homemade, but needs to be frozen or at least severely chilled, and bake in oven- after removing the pot from the heating element of course, or; B) serve with biscuits on top, or; C) serve with mashed potatoes. I've done all the above and they're equally great! Like I said, a favorite, a real hum-dinger!

Ingredients:

• Frozen veggies classic mix, 12 oz (redhydrated in chicken broth)
• 2-3 chicken breasts -or- 1 can chicken, drained
• 12 oz. chicken/turkey gravy (you can make your own from a roux + broth, or; find a jar of it, or; prepare a gravy mix from an envelope)
• 1 t. dried thyme, crushed
• salt to taste

Directions:
1. Place vegetables in slow cooker and top with chicken.
2. Stir together gravy and thyme and pour over turkey.
3. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.
4. Serve according to your fancy, as listed in the introduction.

Meat Loaf

Another one I've yet to try but I am dying to! How easy is this, in the crockpot?! Words are not enough to describe my budding feelings and rekindled relationship with this wonder machine! And what a great way to sneak in some vegetables!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 c. ketchup
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 t. dried basil (always use dried herbs in the slowcooker)
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped/diced
• 2 potatoes, finely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Shape into loaf to fit in crock and place it inside.
3. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
4. Serve with some steamed veggies or salad. And of course, extra ketchup, and mustard, is a must!

Chicken Taco Filling

Yet another easy peesey (does anyone know how to spell that?!) crock recipe! I love it! Actually, I have yet to try it, but how could it go wrong? Three ingredients?! I mean, c'mon people! It's time to start cooking again- if that's what we're calling it!

Ingredients:

• 3-5 chicken breasts
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 1 packet of taco seasoning mix (1.25 oz)

Directions:
1. Place chicken in cooker (can be frozen. In fact, mine most certainly will be!).
2. Mix tomatoes and taco seasoning; pour over chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Serve with corn tortillas with every sort of topping you choose (cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc.). It would probably taste great with some rice, too. And I will probably shred my chicken.

Italian Stew

First off, sorry that I didn't get this out sooner... how many times will I be apologizing, you may ask. As many as it takes to right the wrong I guess, so get used to it! Anyway, this is a slow cooker recipe, which is why I should have had this written earlier. But oh well, and perhaps you can switch it with another day. This will end up working quite well for us, because we had a large can of tomato sauce, which some of it went to the enchiladas and the rest I will dump in here. And I call this a stew, because that's how it turns out, before you doctor it up. So, it can be more soup based if you'd like, but I'm going to make mine more of a sauce. And this tastes best when served with tortellini (but since we're poor, we're just serving it with plain pasta). Oh, and one last note, I use an Italian seasoning mix from *Crockery Gourmet (they were on sale and I highly recommend them). So basically, just follow the recipe on the back. And if you don't have a packet, you'll just have to season it with some chicken bouillon and spices and it should be similar enough. Speaking of enough, here goes nothing!

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of Italian Seasoning Mix*
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes
• 2 c. water (or chicken broth if you don't have the mix)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 small can olives, drained
• 1/2 pack of fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 chicken breasts (you can add more chicken, and less veggies; all to taste/sight)

Directions:
1. Mix seasoning packet with can of tomatoes and water. Add tomato sauce to thicken as desired (you may have to add brown sugar, salt, pepper, seasoning, etc. to make sure it tastes ok).
2. Add veggies and chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low, 6-8 hours.
4. Serve with pasta or serve plain as a stew. Garnish with grated Parm.

PS- You can add packaged tortellini for about the last 10-20 minutes of cooking... oh, and serve with crusty bread, which goes well with any version you choose!