Habanero Chili

Yum!  The best!  Thank you Maresa for sharing this recipe with me!  Serves 6, however I usually double or triple to feed my family!  It makes wonderful leftovers and freezes well too.

1 lb ground beef (lean round steak, cut into bite sized pieces browned with 3 Tbsp oil)
1 cup onion, chopped
1 red or yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 cup beef or chicken broth (Costco chicken stock)
16 oz can of tomato sauce
16 oz can of black eyed peas, drained
16 oz can corn, drained
16 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1-2 habanero chilies, diced
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup (3 large) tomatoes, chopped

1.  In a large pot brown beef, then add and saute onion, pepper & garlic.
2.  Add everything else, bring to a boil and simmer 35-45 minutes.
3.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve with the following optional toppings:

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• green onions
• sliced avocados

Classic (Gluten Free) Lasagna

1 lb ground sausage (check the label, there are some GF options out there)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
26 oz pasta sauce (Classico has multiple varieties that are clearly labeled GF)
1/2 cup water
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15 oz (1 3/4 cups) cottage cheese 
16 oz mozzarella, shredded (divided)
6 Tbsp Romano or Parmesan, grated (divided)
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 egg, slightly beaten
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 noodles

1.  Heat oven to 350*
2.  In a large pot brown sausage.  Then add onion and garlic and saute.  Add sauce and water.
3.  In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 4 Tbsp Parmesan/Romano, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, basil and egg.
4.  In a 9x13 casserole dish layer in the following order then repeat:

• 1 cup meat sauce
• 3 noodles
• 1/2 the cheese mix
• 1 cup meat sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella

5.  The final layer is a little different:

• The last 3 noodles
• 1 cup meat sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella
• remaining 2 Tbsp of Romano/Parmesan.

6.  Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.  Then remove the foil and cook for another 10.  Cool for 10 minutes then serve.  

Sometimes the gluten free noodles take a little longer to cook properly.  You can cook it longer or just make this ahead of time and serve it the next day.  If you want to add a little twist to the classic lasagna and shorten the baking time you can use fusilli noodles, pre-cooked and use them instead.

Tortellini Soup

This is a favorite in both the summer and winter!  In the summer it's the best way to use up all those garden veggies and get your kids to eat them!  Or it's a yummy soup to warm you during those long, cold winter nights!

1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage (Costco has lots of GF options, my kids like the Chicken Apple)
1 cup chopped onion 
6 cups GF chicken stock (Costco)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 16oz can diced tomato with liquid (or 3 large garden tomatoes)
2 cups thinly chopped carrot
1 cup thinly chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp Italian seasoning
          ~~~~Simmer 30 minutes~~~~
2 small zucchini thinly sliced
1/2 lb frozen GF tortellini* (or GF noodles & Feta)
1 bell pepper finely chopped (red, yellow or orange)
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley (or 4 tsp dried)

1.  In a large pot brown sausage and drain.
2.  Add onion and sautee.
3.  Add broth, wine, tomato, carrot, celery, garlic, ketchup & seasoning.  Simmer 30 minutes.
4.  Stir in zuchinni, tortellini, pepper & parsley.  Simmer 30 minutes or until zuchinni is tender.
5.  Season with parmensan cheese and enjoy!

* Gluten free tortellini is hard to find!!  I've found very small bags in the frozen section at New Seasons and Chucks.  If you can't find them (or don't want to pay $10 for 5 small tortellini) you can substitute with any gluten free noodles and then add feta!  My kids like Bionaturae fusilli.