Veggie Loaded Chili

Getting vegetables into our kid's diet can be a bit of a challenge. Picking kids are the number one issues that parents struggle within the cooking arena. I get it, truly! Soups and sauces are a fantastic way to sneak in those greens. This Chili recipe is a hit with many kids, I do leave the beans out if making for really picky kids. One tip to get kids on board, load up the cheese and even tortilla chips to make it even more enticing. Remember that it can that it can take up to 7 times for a child to catch on to a food. Keep offering my friends. Don't give up! 

The Veggies!!!

This is where you get to play with your food! What are some of your favorite veggies? I like to choose veggies that can hold up to cooking and seasonal choices as well. This gives such an interesting flavor. Pumpkin, butternut squash, even greens can be added. Again if you have picky eaters, dice or chop finely. I do always have the trinity of cooking. Onions, peppers, and celery. These need to be sautee in fats to soften! I do a little sautee on all the veggies to give them a good coating of fats and seasonings! 

There are some cans and jugs used in chili unless you can your tomatoes. Gardening is not my gift, trust me I have tried! So canned organic tomatoes it is! I LOVE Trader Joe's garden patch veggie juice! No added junk and very flavorful! Add in my homemade taco seasoning and you have a winner! Time for the recipe!!

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, pressed

• 1 green pepper, diced

• 1 cup mushroom diced

• 1 cup celery, diced

• 2 cups carrots, chopped

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled and chopped

• 1 cup zucchini

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

• 2 cans 28 oz diced tomatoes

• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed

• 1 can navy beans, rinsed

• 64 oz tomato/veggie juice.

• 3/4-1 cup chili seasoning ( my recipe)

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• shredded cheese and greek yogurt for toppings

Directions:

Heat large stock pot on medium high heat. Then add beef, onions and garlic, sprinkle with 2 tbsp chili seasoning. Cook till beef done. Then add in all veggies and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Then add rest of seasoning, I start light and add more as needed. Veggie juice and beans then bring to a boil. Add a little water as needed to get to consistency you like.  I do try to use organic as much as possible. 

You can make in crock pot, you do need to cook beef onions and garlic as well as cooking the veggies a bit then add to crockpot on low for 8 hrs. 

 

Basil Cucumber Tomato Salad

This is a crazy super simple salad that focuses on all things summer! Fresh garden cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and basil! Give this a try for your next meal or gathering it will be a hit!

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Ingredients:

• 2 c Cucumber, diced
• 2 c Plum or Roma Tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 c Red Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp or more Salt
• 1/2 tsp or more Pepper
• 5 Basil Leaves, ribboned

Directions: 

Mix all of the above and adjust salt/pepper to your taste. Refrigerate and keeps for 3 days! 

Not your Ordinary Beef & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tsp Thyme & Rosemary each
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 2/3 tsp Pepper
• 1 1/2 pound Grass-fed Beef
• 3 cups Bone Broth
• 3 cups Water

• 1 1/2 cup Butternut Squash, diced
• 1 1/2 cup Sweet Potato, diced
• 1 cup Carrots, diced
• 1 cup Mushrooms, diced
• 1 Leek, diced, soaked and rinse
• 2 hand fulls of Kale, chopped
• 2 hand fulls of Swiss Char
• 1 cup Zucchini, diced

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Directions:

Preheat a large dutch oven or pot. Add a tablespoon of butter, melt and add leeks and mushrooms. Once softened then add garlic. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the hamburger and cook through. Next, add all the seasonings. Salt, Pepper, Thyme & Rosemary and mix well. 

Time to dump in the remaining ingredients. Squash, potatoes, rest of veggies EXCEPT the kale and zucchini, then broth & water. Bring all to a boil then simmer for 20ish minutes till squash and potato are tender. I add the kale & zucchini last and cook for about 10 minutes more. You can feel free to add more salt or pepper as needed. 

ENJOY!

Subsitutes: If you are not a kale fan swap it out for spinach or swiss chard. You can always add or take away veggies based on your likes. You can't get soup wrong! Play with it!

Meatball Soup

This is truly one of my kids absolute favorite, every single time!! So much so that it made the cut for my cookbook Mom, Can I Take That for Lunch, 50 Family Favorites from our real food kitchen!  Super simple soup that is loaded with veggies. You can actually add rice, pasta or potato or just leave as a broth base. 

Diced up your Veggies, Onions, Celery ( tops too) and carrots! If you like a smaller dice go for it. I am more of a rustic soup gal so I do not worry about a perfect dice cut. This will be the base of the soup along with garlic

Add Garlic and Oil to pot cook for a minute. Then just add the bowl of veggies. Mix and cook for 3-5 minutes. 

Add this beautiful broth and water to the mix and bring to a boil. As this is working begin to make the meatballs. 

Add your meats, eggs, ground oats (gluten free option) or bread crumbs and spices. Mix until till combined. 

Roll up those meatballs and drop into the boiling broth. Once all the balls are in the soup, reduce the heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. If you choose to add a starch ( diced potato, rice or noodle) this is when you will add. 

After the meatballs are done, you will add a pound of baby spinach. I do this a little at a time so it can cook down to make room for the whole batch. Cook till wilted, about 8-10 minutes

And....You are ready to EAT!!

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Here is the Recipe: MeatBall Soup

The Meatballs:

•        1 LB ground beef

•        1/2 ground pork

•        1 cup oats (ground)

•        1 tsp garlic

•        1 tsp pepper

•        1 tsp salt

•        1/2 tsp nutmeg

•        1 egg

Soup:

•      3 C Carrots, Celery & Onion, finely diced

•      3 garlic cloves; pressed

•      6 C bone broth

•      2 C water

•      2 tsp Salt

•      1 tsp Pepper

•       bay leaf

•      1 lb spinach

Directions: In dutch oven or stock pot melt 2 tbsp butter & sauté carrots, celery, onion till translucent. Add pressed garlic for 3 minutes. Then add bone broth and water. Add bay leaf and seasonings. While this comes to a rolling boil begin making the meatballs.

Add all the meatball ingredients into large bowl & mix till combined. You will roll into 1 1/2 inch balls.  When broth begins boiling add meatballs. Once all the balls are in, cook for 15 min then add potatoes   (or you can add noodle/rice if so chose) & cook for another 10 minutes.

Then add the spinach, cook another 5 minutes till spinach is wilted. Then serve with love!

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