Creamy Vegetable Soup

It's gettin cold outside! Have no fear, my creamy vegetable soup will warm you right up! Soups are amazing because they're one-pot dishes that you can sort-of forget about after you throw the ingredients together! 

Time: 1 hour  

Ingredients:  

• 2 cans unsalted tomato sauce  
• 1.5 cups water  
• 1 large potato, diced into bite sized chunks 
• 1 can mixed vegetables (green beans, peas, carrots, corn, etc) 
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced  
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning  
• 1/2 cup milk or lactaid
• 1 can beans of your choice  
• Salt & pepper to taste  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil  

Recipe:  

1. Heat the vegetable oil for 30 seconds in a large pot. Add the onions & sauté until translucent.
2. Add the garlic & the potatoes, stir to combine.
3. Add the tomato sauce quickly after (so the garlic doesn't have a chance to burn). 
4. Then, pour in the water and raise the heat to high so the soup can start to boil. Feel free to add your cans of veggies at this time also. 
5. Once the soup is boiling, add the seasoning and the beans then cover the pot. Lower to a simmer.  
6. Let the soup simmer about 30-40 minutes for the ingredients to fully marry in their flavors, turning every so often so it doesn't burn.
7. Turn off the heat. 
8. Allow about 2 mins off the stove before you add in the milk. Slowly pour it in as you stir.  
9. Feel free to garnish with Parmesan or your favorite cheese & enjoy!  

Bruschetta

A simple snack or appetizer using 4 amazing ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, basil & olive oil! I love making bruschetta during the summer using my homegrown basil leaves & my dad's homegrown tomatoes! Recipe below. 

Time: 15 mins + 1 hour​ refrigeration time, serves 2

Ingredients: ​

• 4-5 plum tomatoes (or quantity of whatever tomatoes you prefer!) ​
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped basil leaves (I grow the fine-leaf basil so I used more whole leaves) ​
• 1 garlic clove, chopped​
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil​
• ​1 teaspoon fine seasalt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper​
• 1 baguette sliced diagonally for serving ​

​Recipe:

1. ​Dice the tomatoes or just chop them into bite-sized pieces. Put them in a bowl.
2. Add the ​chopped basil & garlic.  drizzle the olive oil over the mixture then sprinkle on the salt & black pepper. 
3. Cover the bowl with clear plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour so the flavors incorporate. ​
4. ​Spoon the mixture onto piece of lightly toasted baguette & enjoy!