Pasta Puttanesca

Oh how I love this stinky dish!  There's a whole lot of flavor here.

Ingredients
1 box thin pasta
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 c parsley, chopped
1/4 c olives, chopped - This is the major flavor for the dish.  Pick an olive you like.  Greek and Spanish work well.
2 T capers
1 t anchovy paste or 1 tin anchovies pulverized with a mortar and pestle or mini food processor
1 T fresh or 1 t dried oregano
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, no salt if available
1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

Directions
Seriously, chopped everything before you start.  Once you start cooking it goes fast. 
Cook the pasta
Heat the olive oil.
Saute garlic 1 minute
Add parsley, olives, capers, anchovy, oregano, cayenne pepper and saute 2 minutes
Add tomatoes and saute 5 minutes
Add spinach and heat through

Toss with pasta.

Split pea soup

Ingredients
1 pkg split pea soup
2 c diced ham (check the brand for soy / dairy if processed), 1 meaty ham bone, or 1 ham hock
3 carrots, chopped
1 small to medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 c fresh parsley or 2 t dried
1 T salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/2 qts (6 cups) hot water

Put it all in a crockpot and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 8-10 hours.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients
Marinate:

• 1/2 c cider
• 1/4 c chopped onion
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce (Some brands have soy sauce.   Lea & Perrins is safe.)
• 1 t tobasco
• 3-4 lb pork shoulder

Rub:

• 1 T sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 t paprika
• 1/4 t black pepper 

Optional
Ketchup or BBQ sauce. (Check your BBQ sauce for soy. Different flavors in the same brand can have very different ingredients.)

Directions
Marinate 6-10 hours. 

Make a ring from aluminum foil to lift the pork out of the liquid in the crock pot. 
Pour marinade in the crock pot, pat the roast dry and apply rub
Cook on low for 7-9 hours

Optional sauce:
Skim fat and add 2 T ketchup or BBQ sauce to make a vinegar sauce.  Can also serve with bottled BBQ sauce.

Chili

Ingredients
1 lb ground meat (beef, chicken, chorizo, whatever)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 15 oz can tomatoes w/ chilis
2 15 oz cans beans (any type you like)
2 T chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t BBQ or Cajun seasoning

Directions
Brown ground beef.  Add onions and garlic and brown those too.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 20 minutes or until just warm or as long as you need until you're ready to eat.

Pasta and red sauce

It's not glamorous but it's fast, both kids will eat it, and I can have it on the table in 12 minutes if I use the right pasta.  We usually have rotini because it cooks fast and both kids can handle it.  Angel hair cooks a bit faster but the little ones have a tough time handling the noodles.

Ten minute fish

Ingredients:
Frozen fish
Frozen veg
Instant potatoes.

Directions:
Read the label on the sack of fish.  There will be directions for how to bake, fry, etc it.  Wherever it says butter use olive oil.  If you use breadcrumbs make your own or check for soy.  Repeat on the vegetables.

Be sure to read the label on your instant potatoes to be sure they're non-dairy non-soy in the box.  When making them use rice milk and olive oil instead of whole milk and butter.

Mixed Bean Soup

Ingredients
1 20 oz  sack 15/16 bean soup
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic or 1 T garlic powder
1 tsp. celery salt
2 stalks celery chopped
1 bay leaf
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
Ground pepper to taste
1 package polish kielbasa sliced into coins or 1 ham hock or 2 c ham cubes

Directions
Throw away the flavor packet.
Soak the beans overnight well covered with water
Drain the water
Put beans in the crockpot and cover with water plus 1 inch.
Brown the onions and garlic
Add all ingredients to the crockpot
Simmer all day (8 - 12 hours) and stir before serving.

Serve with bread or rice and a salad.  Freezes well.  Makes good leftovers.