Marvelous Recipes

This is a wonderful recipe for using those delicious home-grown vegetables from your garden or purchased at your local farmers market. Serve it with grilled steak or chicken for a real dinner treat!

4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 large onion, cut in half and into 1/4-inch slices
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place the potatoes, onion and carrots in baking dish; toss with 1/2 each of the oil, garlic, thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, toss the bell pepper and zucchini with the remaining oil and seasonings; stir into the potato mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring halfway through bake time. Makes 6 servings.

Emily

It was so cold and cloudy yesterday that all I could think about was a big bowl of tasty hot soup so I went searching through some recipes in a Taste of Home magazine I had purchased a couple of years ago. This is the one I chose because it contained a lot of healthy vegetables, required no meat and was so simple and easy to make in my slow cooker.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 cups fresh baby carrots, halved
1-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water
2 cans(14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
1 cup medium pearl barley
1 bay leaf
1-3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

1. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir in the water, broth, barley, bay leaf and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or until barley and vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in the tomatoes; cover and cook on high for 10 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Discard the bay leaf before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Emily

Nothing warms you better on a cold winter day than a bowl of this hot, great tasting soup! Try it with toasted garlic bread or delicious hot cornbread!

1 pound ground beef chuck
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 (14-1/2 oz.) can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 cups vegetable juice
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 bay leaf

1. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5 quart slow cooker. Stir in the salt and pepper.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir to blend well.

3. Cover and cook on Low for 9 to 11 hours or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf before serving. Makes 7 servings.