Slow-Cooker Minestrone Soup

 

This is a great new recipe for slow-cooker minestrone soup.  I adapted this from a great recipe from EatingWell.  It is fairly low in calories and has a good deal of protein from the beans that you are using in this vegetarian dish (if you do not use chicken broth).  However, it makes a ton of soup, so you might either want to cut the recipe in half, or use a large slow cooker.  I wished I used my larger one (as opposed to my standard size one), but it all fit.  I also used dried beans that soaked overnight to reduce sodium.  I let this cook a long time and it just was fantastic.  This was a perfect dinner on a cold day in Michigan.

Ingredients (serves 8-10 portions)

1 1/4 cup Mixed Dried Beans (light red kidney and small red work well)

4-5 large Carrots, peeled and chopped (or around 14-16 baby carrots)

2 stalks Celery, chopped

1 small Red onion, chopped 

3 tsp (or cloves) garlic, chopped

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 15 ounce can Petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

8 cups Vegetable or chicken broth (low or no sodium works well)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)

1/2 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)

4 ounces Pasta (rotini, elbows or any small shape) - about 1 cup

Directions

1. Place the mixed dried beans in a bowl and soak with around 6 cups of water overnight. 
2. Combine carrots, celery, red onion, garlic, green beans, diced tomatoes (with liquid) and Italian seasoning in the slow cooker.  
3. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the slow cooker with broth.  Add Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.  
4. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 9 hours (it can go longer if needed).
5. 30 minutes before you want to eat, add dried pasta to the soup and cover.

Enjoy!

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

 

There are a great number of ways to make fries in the air fryer.  We found a great recipe (from Yumna Jawad's Feel Good Foodie) to serve as a base and started mixing in different spices until we found a great taste.  These are a quick and easy way to add a great side to your meal (if you have an air fryer).  Since sweet potatoes are a super food - it is a nice way to get them into your diet more.  The trick here is to be patient and not overload the sweet potatoes in the air fryer.  Working in batches might be in order if you are cooking for a crowd.  They need a bit of room to cook!

Ingredients (2 servings)

2 medium or 1 large Sweet potato
1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
Pinch of Black Pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. 
2. Peel the sweet potatoes, then slice each potato into 1/3 inch thick sticks.  
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder paprika and black pepper.
4. Cook without overcrowding the pan.  This will be between 13-14 minutes.  Half way through, shake the basket to get all sides cooking.  

Enjoy!