Stuffed Pepper Soup

One of my favorite parts of growing bell peppers is making stuffed bell peppers. This soup is a great way to get the flavor of stuffed bell peppers in a comforting bowl of soup.

If you happen to grow your own peppers, slice or chop some and freeze for making this soup. They work great!

You will need a Dutch oven or large pan for making soup.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
2 cups chopped and seeded green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 quart chopped tomatoes( you could use a 29 oz. can if needed)
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground, dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground, dried sage

1-1/3 cups water
2/3 cups white rice

salt and pepper, if needed, to taste

Brown the ground beef in your Dutch oven. Drain off fat, if needed.
Add the onion and peppers. Cook about 5 minutes until the onion is tender.
Add the tomatoes, paste, broth, thyme, and sage.
Cover and simmer until the peppers are tender. Fresh peppers about 30-40 minutes.
Frozen peppers will maybe take about 20 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, add the rice to the water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
Cover and cook approximately 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat.
Add the rice to the soup and heat through.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if you want.
Serve.
Enjoy!

Tastes great with shredded cheddar cheese sprinkled over the top.

You will get 6 filling bowls of soup.

Ground Turkey and Black Bean Chili

What could be better on a cool day than a bowl of chili? For chili lovers, not much.
I used to always make chili using store bought chili beans.
But, I would buy dry beans for this recipe or that and I had a lot of them so I decided to try using them in my chili.
And I am glad I did. Yummy!!!!

You will need a 3 quart or larger pan.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound dry black beans, you can also use 2 (15oz)cans black beans
1 medium onion
1 chili pepper
1 pound ground turkey
1(15oz) can chopped tomatoes
salt
pepper
chili powder
chipotle powder
1 potato chopped- optional

If using the dry beans, soak them out and cook.
When the beans are about halfway done, season with salt, pepper and about a 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder.
Add some of the onion.
If using the canned beans, add the seasonings and onion to them and simmer together for 10-15 minutes.
Do not drain the beans.
Meanwhile, cook the ground turkey with the remaining onion and chili pepper. Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder.
Drain the meat and add to the beans.
Add the chopped tomatoes.
Add the chopped potato now, if using.
Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
Add 1-2 teaspoons chili powder.
Add 1 teaspoon chipotle powder.
Taste and add more if you like.
Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat and put the cover on.
Stir occasionally.
Cook on low for 2 hours or until the chili is as thick as you would like.

Serves 4-5.
Serve with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese and maybe some crackers.