Easy Pasta Fagioli Soup

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Is it too early to be posting recipes about soup? Well it is raining right now so no, I think not. This is also a real easy recipe to make for those of you who don’t want to spend alot of time in the kitchen and it also makes great leftovers! TIP: If you don’t have the spices available, buy the canned diced tomatoes that are flavored with the oregano, basil and garlic. Be cautious with your salt, since you are using a lot of canned items, I would suggest you don’t add any salt until it’s finished and you taste the final product.

Ingredients

• 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (14 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
• 1 (14 ounce) can of Cannellini beans, undrained
• 1 (14 ounce) can chopped spinach, drained (optional)
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Italian Sausages
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 pound seashell pasta or Ditalini pasta

Directions

1. In a large stock pot brown the Italian sausages. Once browned, remove from the pot and slice into pieces.
2. In the same large stock pot, combine diced tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, water, garlic, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and basil. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
3. Add your sausages to the pot and optional spinach and cook for additional 10 min.
4. TIP: Cook pasta separately using directions on the box then ladle into soup, this makes it less soggy. Sprinkle cheese on top, and serve!

Pork Stir fry with Opo Squash (Upo)

The Opo Squash tastes just like zucchini. It can be found in asian markets. It’s long and firm with a smooth green outside. It’s popular in Indian and Asian cuisine. It’s nice to use in a stir fry because it’s a little firmer than zucchini and keeps it shape. My in laws say they prefer it better than zucchini and that says a lot since they are plain meat and potato type people. Here I made a popular Filipino recipe known as Upo. Sometimes the stir fry is a vegetarian type stir fry made the same way without the meat. Sorry, I like meat so I am using pork chops sliced thinly. You can also use ground pork, ground turkey, ground chicken or chicken sliced thin. You don’t have to use canned tomato, you can also use fresh tomato. It’s really up to you.

Upo or White Squash

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized Upo (White Squash) , sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 medium sized onion, diced
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, diced or 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 2 pork chops sliced thin
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp salt or 1 1/2 tablespoon Fish sauce (Patis)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the pan and pour the cooking oil
2. Sauté the garlic, onions
3. Put-in the ground black pepper and pork then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes
4. Add tomatoes
5. Add the Upo (White Squash), cover the pan, and simmer for 6 minutes
6. Add salt to taste

Easy Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef

Hoisin sauce is kind of like the chinese version of BBQ sauce. The hoisin sauce helps this sauce to be less salty of a taste. I also love to use sesame oil when I stir fry, I add a dash here to the oil when stir frying. It gives it a nice taste. This is easy to make once you understand the basics of stir frying. It’s one of my family’s favorite staples. You can always add vegetables to it if you want. I tend to steam my vegetables and either add it in the end or just serve it as a side dish along with the rice.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional if you want it spicy)
• 1 Sliced white or yellow onion
• 1 pound beef flank steak or other stir fry meat, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
• 2 large green onions (scallions), thinly sliced

Directions

• Whisk together soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes (optional) in a bowl. Toss beef with marinade, cover, and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.
• Heat peanut oil (or vegetable oil and sesame seed oil) in a wok or large, nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the white or yellow onions and cook until translucent. Then add the green onions, and cook for 5 to 10 seconds before stirring in the beef. Cook and stir until the beef is no longer pink and is beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

Grilled Garlic Flank Steak (Puerto Rican Style)

Grilled Flank Steak Puerto Rican Style

I had the pleasure of visiting Puerto Rico. If you are a meat lover, this is a great vacation destination for you. They make THE best Flank or Skirt steaks around! If you like the flavor of garlic, this marinade was the closest marinade I could find to duplicating the flavors of the skirt steaks and flank steaks I had there. It tastes better the longer you let the marinade sit on the meat. I tend to marinade it overnight. To make it easier, I put the meat in a Hefty freezer bag then pour the marinade on top and massage the marinade into the meat from the outside of the bag with the bag closed tight. I like the Hefty freezer bag brand because I find it’s great at keeping freezer taste out and my foods don’t taste like plastic. I noticed it when I put potato chips in a plastic bag, they tend to take on a plastic taste. The Hefty freezer bags are the only ones who don’t leave that plastic taste in the food. It’s a super easy marinade and when we have company, it’s a great way to feed a lot of people. We have used the meat for fajitas, tacos, burritos, on top of rice or with just veggies and a starch. It’s versatile so it’s a great recipe worth repeating.

Ingredients

• 1 Flank or Skirt Steak (usually 2 lbs)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 5 cloves of garlic peeled

Directions

• In a food processor or blender combine all ingredients and process for 4-6 minutes.
• After it’s done blending. Put meat in a Hefty Freezer bag then pour marinade on top of meat. Seal the plastic bag then massage (from the outside of the bag) the marinade into the meat as to spread the marinade throughout. Refrigerate overnight for best results.
• Grill the meat on medium high. I tend to grill it about 6-7 min on each side for a medium rare doneness. TIP: the olive oil will make the flames really high so be careful.