This is a great spicy soup for a cold day. It is very hearty and filled with vegetables. It makes a ton so that you can freeze some for later. Thanks to my mother-in-law for the delicious recipe!
Minestrone with Hot Italian Sausage
5 links hot Italian sausage
6 oz elbow macaroni
onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, drained
1 can small lima beans, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 bag frozen corn
1 can green beans, drained
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, peeled and diced
3 cups cabbage, chopped and cooked
1 large carton beef broth (don't use low-sodium, I made that mistake and had to add salt later)
4 cups water
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Remove sausage from casing. Brown with onion and garlic in large skillet, drain. Cook pasta according to package directions. Combine all ingredients in large stockpot, bring to boil. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese.
This a great quick appetizer that you can throw together when you have friends over! You can make it as spicy as you like based on how many jalapeno seeds you leave in. The cream cheese is a great combo, because it really tones down the hot jalapeno.
Bite-Size Jalapeno Poppers
1 can crescent dough
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 jalapeno
3 strips bacon
Cut uncooked bacon into bite-size pieces. Cook until crispy done. Cube cream cheese into small pieces. Chop jalapeno into small pieces (you can remove seeds if you like it less spicy). Unroll crescent dough and split into pre-cut triangles. Cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles with a pizza cutter. In the middle of each smaller triangle, place a cube of cream cheese, a piece of jalapeno, and 1-2 pieces of bacon. Bring corners together and press to seal edges. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
Adapted from http://www.hellohue.com/
This artichoke dip is another recipe from "The Pioneer Woman". I never follow recipes exactly, so this is my version. This recipe makes a lot, so if you are only serving a few people, you may want to cut it in half.
Hot Artichoke Dip
2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts, drained
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c mayonnaise (I used "real" mayo, not the low-fat stuff I usually buy)
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how much spice you prefer)
2 green onions, chopped
1 c grated Parmesan/Romano cheese mix
dash of salt and pepper (a little less than 1/8 tsp each)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop 1 can of artichokes into small pieces. Add to blender with cream cheese and mayo. Sprinkle in cayenne pepper and chopped green onions. Pulse 6-7 times until mixed (you don't want to liquefy it, just pulse until well mixed). Place in large bowl, add in parmesan, salt, and pepper. Roughly chop remaining artichokes, stir in. Pour into glass dish, bake 20 minutes or until hot & bubbly. Serve with blue tortilla chips.
