Italian Zucchini Soup

In a large pot...
-brown one pound of ground beef
-when that is finished add one large can of whole tomatoes
-use your kitchen shears to break up the tomatoes
-use your empty tomato can, fill with water (or broth for extra flavor) and add to the soup
-slice 4-5 zucchini's into thin rounds and add to the pot
-bring to a boil and let the soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes
-salt to taste
-serve with french bread and lots of freshly grated mozzerella cheese on top of the soup....sooo good!

Enchilada Chips

Ever wonder what to do with the left over chicken from a roasted chicken? Here's a yummy solution. Of course you could just make chicken specifically for this dish too. This one was a regular when I was in college. A must for a study night or a busy day and the family is hungry and you're exhausted!

-Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray
-Spread tortilla chips on the bottom
-top with shredded chicken
-drizzle a small can of enchilada sauce all over
-smother with cheese
-Throw it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 to heat/melt

It's grub time!

Costa Rican Coleslaw

Here's a recipe from my M.I.L. (Mother In Law), she made it today for Easter and it was soo good! I like a little crunch with my meal and I'm NOT a fan of mayo which is what traditional coleslaw uses. It tastes very fresh and light. I thought I'd pass it on for you to try...THANKS M.I.L!!

Ingredients:
head of cabbage
2 TBL olive oil
chopped cilantro
3 green onions, cut
salt & pepper
lemon juice
avocado

To thinly sliced cabbage, add green onions and cilantro.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
Mix well.
Drizzle lemon juice over mixture
Optional...add avocado to coleslaw.

This is so healthy and inexpensive.

Breakfast Spam Potatoes

Okay, so I know spam has a bad wrap with some people. Canned meat? Yes! Canned meat can taste good. I'm not a fan of spam by itself but in these breakfast potatoes, it's really good.

1 can of spam can go a long way so I normally only use half the can or even a third and save the rest for later. But I would say to use about 10 small or 8 large potatoes per 1 can of spam. So, you may want to half the recipe if you're only serving a few people. Another option, especially for those of you in college, is to make the full amount and then save the rest for a quick burrito on the way to class. Be careful though, you might want to hide it in the back of your fridge before you're roommates eat it all!

Here's a side note, this is only a guideline! Be your own chef! Add more or less potatoes or spam, it's all good :-)

-Peel and dice 8 potatoes
-Dice 1 can of spam
-Heat up a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and put about 3 Tbs of vegetable oil ( you need enough to just coat the bottom of the pan and the potatoes otherwise the potatoes will begin to stick and become mushy)
-Add your potatoes, spam, and salt and pepper to taste
-Stir once to coat everything with the veg. oil and then cover and lower the heat.
-Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender
-remove the lid and flip the mixture over, it should be nice and brown
-now just cook the other side till it's crisp and golden brown and you're done!

This is really good in a burrito. To spice it up even more add your favorite hot sauce, beans, and maybe some scrambled eggs. Enjoy!

Lentil Soup (good and good for ya!)

In a large pot combine:
4 cups water
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup baby or diced carrots
1 peeled and diced potato
1 diced zucchini
1 medium can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp onion powder (sub for the real thing if you like or if you have time- about 1/2 cup freshly diced)
1 tsp garlic powder (sub for the real thing if you like or if you have time- about 2 cloves crushed)
Salt to taste
Bring to a boil and simmer over medium-low heat for 45min-1hr
Great with crackers, french bread, sandwiches or quesadillas.

P.S. This is a good recipe for the crock pot too!