Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup Ingredients :

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Yellow Onion, Diced
• 1/4 cup Carrots, Diced
• 1/4 cup Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1 1/2 quarts (3 pounds) Canned Black Beans, Not Drained
• 2 tablespoons Cooking Sherry
• 1 tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, Granulated
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, Ground
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder 8 oz. Smoked Sausage, small dice
• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons Water

Preparation of Cook :

1. In a medium stock pot, place the olive oil, onion, carrot, and bell pepper.
2. Sauté the vegetables until they are tender.
3. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the bouillon cubes, and allow to dissolve.
4. Add the bouillon, cooked beans, and the remaining ingredients (except cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water) to sautéed vegetables.
5. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook approximately 15 minutes.
6. In a blender, puree 1 quart of the soup, and put back into the pot.
7. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 tablespoon water.
8. Add the cornstarch mix to the soup and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
9. Serve with cornbread, white rice, or your favorite side dish.

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Crust:

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 6 graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1 egg white
• Buttered flavored vegetable cooking spray

Filling:

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 5−6 large Granny Smith apples, about 2 1/2 pounds
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Topping:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation Steps:

1. Set oven temperature to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, process the oats, graham crackers and walnuts until finely ground. Add the egg white and process until blended.
3. The mixture should look crumbly not gooey.
4. Coat a 9−inch pie pan with cooking spray. Press the crumb mixture evenly into the pie pan to make the crust. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use.
5. Bring the cider to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over high heat.
6. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice to the bowl. Peel the apples, cut into quarters, remove the core and cut into thin slices. Stir the apples into the cider mixture. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the apples and stir to combine. Arrange the apples in the crust.
7. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, oats, walnuts and cinnamon together. Pour the melted butter into the bowl stirring to combine.
8. Sprinkle the topping over the apples, pat down with your hands and bake at 350F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. The center should be soft when pierced with a sharp knife.

Simple Chicken Pasta Salad

Simple Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients :

• 1 package Perdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast, original roasted (alternate: Perdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast, Grilled Italian Style)
• 8 ounces (2 cups) mini penne (alternate: small pasta)
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 green onions, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup coarsley chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup vinaigrette salad dressing, such as olive oil and vinegar dressing
• Leaf lettuce
• 2 tablespoons coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Preparation Steps :

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool.
• Combine the cooked pasta, chicken, tomatoes, green onions, and basil in a large bowl; toss until combined. Add the dressing; toss just until coated.
• Line a large platter with lettuce leaves. Spoon the pasta salad over the lettuce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts.