Bev's Recipe Collection

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 pounds ground beef (or small pieces of stew meat)
• 3 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes (or 5 1/2 C diced fresh tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 T chili powder
• 1 1/2 T ground cumin
• 1 T salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• dash of cayenne
• 9 C water
• 1 1/2 pounds dry lentils (about 3 3/4 C), rinsed

Optional, for serving:

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• chopped fresh cilantro
• hot sauce
• tortilla chips

In a large stock pot, saute onion and bell pepper in coconut oil over medium-high heat until half-cooked. Add garlic. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add ground beef or stew meat. Cook, drain, and return to pan.  Add tomatoes, spices, and water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Simmer covered, on medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes.  Add lentils and stir.  Cover and simmer for an additional 60 minutes or until lentils are tender.  Continue simmering until you reach the desired thickness.  Serve hot, with optional ingredients of your choice.  Enjoy!

Easy Slow Cooker recipe:

If you use beef stew meat, you can make this chili start-to-finish in your slow cooker.  If you choose to use ground beef instead, brown it in a pan on the stove, drain the grease, and then add it and other ingredients to a 6 quart slow cooker.  (It will barely fit.)  Cook on low for about 6 hours.

From tammysrecipes.com

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken (chopped or diced, cooked and drained)
• 6 C chicken broth
• 5 potatoes, diced
• 2 1/4 C chopped cabbage
• 2 leeks, diced
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
• 1 T salt
• 2 t paprika
• 2 small bay leaves
• 3/4 C sour cream, optional

Combine all ingredients through paprika in slow cooker.  Add bay leaves.  Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.  Remove and discard bay leaves.  Stir in sour cream and serve.  Makes 9-12 servings.

Serve with biscuits.

(adapted from Favorite All Time Recipes)

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/4 large onion, chopped
• 32 oz. beef broth
• 2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 16 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 16 oz. frozen mixed vegetables

Brown ground beef in a little olive oil, adding onion half way through; rinse.  Put beef, broth, tomatoes, beans and seasonings in a pan.  Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes.  Add frozen vegetables and simmer till done, about 10 more minutes.  (Or add fresh vegetables and simmer for less time.)  Serves 6.

Recipe by Mom Hudson, January, 2009

• 2 pounds ground beef
• small sweet onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 2 C ricotta cheese
• 2 t Italian seasoning
• 1/2 t oregano leaves
• 1/2 t basil leaves
• 3 C rotini or penne, cooked

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.  Drain and rinse.  Place in slow cooker; add tomatoes, sauce, ricotta cheese, and seasonings.  Cook on high 2 1/2 hours.  Serve over pasta, topping with freshly grated cheese of your choice.

(Thanks for finding this one too, Julie!)

• 4 1/2 lb. center cut chuck roast, all visible fat removed, koshered
• 3 qts. water
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 small bay leaves
• 4 1/2 C diced potatoes
• 1 1/2 C sliced celery
• 3 C thickly sliced carrots
• 1/2 C uncooked pearled barley
• 3 T dried thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper

In a ceramic pot or dutch oven, combine roast, water, onion, and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook until meat is tender, about 3 hours. Remove meat from pot and set aside.  Strain broth. Allow broth and meat to cool. Cut meat into pieces, place it in the broth and refrigerate in the pot overnight.

Next day: Remove the layer of fat. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Serve hot.

(adapted from www.torahbytes.org)

• 5 C sliced organic carrots
• 44 oz. chicken broth
• 2 large broccoli florets or 20 oz. frozen broccoli (or peas)
• 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 C celery, sliced
• 2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 C milled oat flour (blend or process 1 C oats)
• 3 1/2 C milk
• 12 oz. Swiss cheese, optional
• 3-4 C diced cooked chicken

Combine carrots, broth, onions, celery, broccoli, salt, and pepper in a large pot.  Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat.  Simmer 10 minutes. Whisk flour into milk and add to the pot. Add chicken also. Bring the pot to a rolling boil again and then let simmer another 10 minutes. Remove from heat.  Stir in cheese.  Serves 12.

We serve this with rice.

(Adapted from urbanhomemaker.com  They used leftover turkey and turkey broth.)

• 4 lbs. ground beef
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cans organic corn, drained (or 6 cups frozen)
• 3 (29 oz.) cans tomato puree
• 1/2 C dry ranch dressing mix
• 3/4 C ketchup
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 1/2 t ground cumin
• 7 C water

Brown ground beef, adding onion and garlic half way through.  Drain and rinse.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer at least 1 hour. (Or cook ground beef and onion, drain, and add all ingredients in two slow cookers; place on low for the afternoon).  Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa.

(Thanks for this recipe too, Julie!)

• 2 pkgs. 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach
• 3 1/2 C water
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 56 oz. chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 18 oz. tortellini
• 1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 eggs
• couscous

Cook spinach in water listed, just until thawed.  Meanwhile, heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat and cook onion until wilted.  Add garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes.  Add chicken broth, spinach and water.  Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.  Add cans of tomatoes and mix well.  Add tortellini and bring pot back to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and egg.  Stir vigorously with a fork.  When soup has cooked 5 minutes, slowly drizzle egg mixture into the pot, stirring constantly.  Stir and cook 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve over couscous.

Already doubled.  From St. Petersburg Times.

• 1/4 C olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 T ground cumin
• 6 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 3 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• thyme (12 sprigs fresh, 1 1/2 t. ground, or 1T dried leaves)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 T honey
• 42 oz. vegetable broth
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• parsley, optional (1/2  c chopped flat leaf or 3 T dried leaves)
• couscous, rice, or quinoa

Place onion in the oil over medium heat.  Cook until wilted.  Add garlic; cook another minute.  And cumin; cook 1 more minute.  Add next ingredients (through pepper).  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and serve over couscous.

Tripled and adapted from the St. Petersburg Times decades ago.