A New Favorite Taco Soup!

Well, my sweet baby is here (just 2 weeks old now) and I'm not doing any cooking right now. (If you want to see pics of her, just click over to our family blog.) My wonderful church family has been providing us with meals and it has been so fun to try out different meals! This taco soup was absolutely delicious! My friend put a lot of cilantro right in the soup and let it simmer, instead of just using it as a topping. And I loved it! The cilantro just made it taste so fresh and delicious. So here is her recipe:

Soak beans the night before - I use 1 cup of pinto and 1 cup black. Cook them the next day for a few hours. (If you don't have time, you can use canned beans.) Drain. Brown 2 lb. beef with a chopped onion and several minced garlic cloves. In a big soup pot, but beans, beef and the following:

2 c frozen corn
1 small can chopped green chillies
2 c salsa
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes - I often use grape tomatoes.
Chicken broth enough to cover food + some

Simmer for 30 min. Top with green onions, cheese, sour cream, cilantro and fritos.

Beth's Homemade BBQ Sauce/ Sloppy Joe

This has great flavor and can be used in whatever dish you use bbq sauce in. It also makes a delicious Sloppy Joe!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup butter
10 oz. tomato paste
1 cup vinegar
1 cup honey
1 cup mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 T cumin
1/2 Tbs. crushed red pepper flakes

Directions: Saute onions and garlic in butter. Add everything else -- simmer uncovered on low for 30 minutes. Stir frequently. Makes about 1 1/2 quart. You can add it to browning meat to make an easy sloppy joe! (Sauce can be canned using the inverted method.)

Beth's Sweet Potato Dollars

These are a yummy, healthy, and easy way to make sweet potatoes that everyone will love!
Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes
3 Tbs. melted butter
3 Tbs. olive oil
pinch of sea salt
1 Tbs maple syrup

Directions: Peel sweet potatoes; slice into 1/4 inch dollars. Mix butter, olive oil, sea salt, and maple syrup together. Brush pan with mixture. Put dollars on pan; brush dollars with mixture. Bake at 350 for close to an hour

This post is a part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes!

Beth's Asian BBQ Meatballs

I recently went to a healthy foods taste party and recipe swap. Everyone made something healthy that their family really enjoys, and brought copies of the recipe for everyone to take home with them. What a great idea! I'm going to be posting some of the recipes that I enjoyed eating there. Here is the first:

This has great flavor, is very healthy, and would make a great appetizer or main dish when served over rice or quinoa

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. freshly grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, mashed
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. raw honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1 lb. ground beef

Directions: To make meatballs, add 1 egg and a little of the sauce. Slightly brown meatballs in skillet then place in crockpot; cover with sauce. Cook on low for a few hours.

This recipe is part of the Real Food Progressive Dinner and Kelly's Korner SUYL appetizers!!!

Healthy Blender Pancakes

My friend Beth gave me this recipe for easy pancakes in the morning and Mark, Karis, and I all love them. They are especially great for people who want to use healthy grain but don't have a grain mill, because you soak the whole grains overnight and then a handy blender does all the work :) My toddler eats these for breakfast with some butter and organic maple syrup, and we also use leftovers for little cheese or almond butter sandwiches!

Ingredients:
1 cup grain (I'd recommend kamut, spelt, prairie gold, or even better, a combo of those :)
1 cup warm water
2 Tbs. whey, lemon juice, or vinegar
1/2 cup buttermilk or fresh cream or milk
1 egg
2 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. honey
pinch of salt (sea salt is best)
1 Tbs.baking powder

The night before you are going to make them, put 1 c. grain in a bowl with 1 c. warm water and a little bit of whey, lemon juice or vinegar. I use whey that I make from our kefir. Put is somewhere warm overnight. The next morning, pour that into the blender with either 1/2 c. buttermilk or cream or even milk. Bblend on high for three minutes. Then add 1 egg, 2 T oil, 1 T honey and a pinch of salt. Blend for another minute. Then add 1 T baking powder and pulse the blender 3 times.

The Best Sloppy Joes Ever!

My friend Beth McKenzie made a ton of this for everyone who helped us move into our new home. Mark and I had never tasted any sloppy joe as good as this! Honestly, this has ruined my husband and he no longer enjoys any other kind of sloppy joes :) He just thinks these are soo much better! I usually double this and freeze it for an easy meal later :)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2 T. chopped onion
2 T. green pepper
2 T. celery
¼ tsp. garlic salt
½ cup ketchup
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2-3 T. lemon juice
1 T. vinegar
2-3 T. Italian dressing
2-3 T. brown sugar
sprinkled cinnamon

Directions: In a medium skillet, combine beef, onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic salt; Cook and stir until meat is brown and veggies are tender. Drain fat. Stir together rest of ingredients – Spread over meat and cook until heated through.