Turkey Pasta Soup

This is something that we have fairly often. It’s a little spicy – once I substituted turkey sausage instead of ground turkey, and let me tell you – that was hot! I don’t recommend it! 

Here's one tip - I cook my pasta, but don't add it to the soup. When I dish it up, I put the amount of pasta I want in each bowl and then add the soup. That way I can refrigerate the leftovers without the pasta soaking up all of the broth.This makes quite a bit of soup, so sometimes we freeze the leftovers and then it's quick to heat up for another meal. I also like to sprinkle some shredded Parmesan on top just before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked small pasta shells
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Italian stewed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, cook the turkey, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Drain pasta and add to the soup. Cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through.

Yield: 10 servings

Slow Cooked Pork Tacos

We tried this recipe tonight and I thought it was great! It was really easy to throw it all in the Crockpot and even easier to serve once it was finished. I found it in an issue of Taste of Home. Ok, I know - most of the recipes on here have come from TOH, but it's pretty much the only recipe magazine that I read. My mother-in-law gave me a gift subscription when I first got married and I've been hooked ever since. :) For the life of me, I could never find a pork sirloin roast, so I used a pork tenderloin. However, if I'm really being honest, I have to admit that I don't know much about cuts of meat, so maybe I really did find one and didn't realize it. I bought the meat without paying attention to how much I actually needed, so I had a 4 lb tenderloin - but I think it was perfect. Any less and there wouldn't have been any leftovers!!

Ingredients

1 boneless pork sirloin roast (2 lbs), cut into 1 inch-pieces

1 1/2 cups salsa verde (I used a whole 16 oz bottle)

1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

2 Tbsp lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Dash hot pepper sauce

10 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

Sour cream, sliced green onions, cubed avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped tomato, optional.

Directions

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is very tender.

Shred pork with two forks. Place about 1/2 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla. Serve with toppings if desired.

Yield: 10 tacos