Turkey Vegetable Soup with Brown Rice

from cookbook Cheap. Fast. Good! by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross http://kitchenscoop.com/

1 C. Brown Rice
2 tsp veg. oil
1 Lg Onion (about 1 C chopped)
2 cloves garlic minces or 2 tsp
3 C Shredded green cabbage or 1 bag 8 oz coleslaw mix
2 cans chicken broth
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme or dried basil
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 T soy sauce
1 T worcestershire sauce
3 C frozen mixed vegetables
2 C cooked turkey chunks (or chicken)

1. Bring 2 1/4 C lightly salted water to a boil in a covered 2 Qt saucepan. Add the rice, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover pan and simmer until all of the water is absorbed, about 30 min.

2. While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a 4 1/2 Qt or larger dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 2 min.

3. Add the garlic to the pot, along with the cabbage, broth, tomatoes with their juice, bay leaf, thyme, black pepper, soy sauce, and worcestershire sauce. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a slow boil. if the frozen vegetables have ice crystals, pour them into a colander and rinse with warm tap water. Add the vegetables and turkey chunks to the pot and simmer until ready to serve.

4. When the rice is done, place about 1/2 C. in each soup bowl, spoon the soup over the rice and serve.

Cure-All Chicken Soup

From the cookbook Cheap. Fast. Good! by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross http://kitchenscoop.com/

Salt for cooking rice
2/3 lb skinless,boneless chicken breast halves
1 C Long grain rice
2 tsp veg. oil
1 Lg Onion (About 1 C Chopped)
2 med. carrots (About 1 C Chopped)
3 med. ribs of celery (about 1 1/2 C diced)
1 clove garlic minced or 1 tsp bottled minced
1 tsp finely minced ginger
2 cans (about 14 oz) chicken broth
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Bring 2 C lightly salted water to a boil in a 2 Qt saucepan

2. While the water is heating, partially thaw the chicken if frozen.

3. When the water comes to a boil, add the rice, stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 min. (Can use a rice cooker instead).

4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 4 1/2 qt  or larger dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Peel the onion and finely chop it, adding it to the pot as you chop. Cut the partially defrosted or fresh chicken into bite sized pieces, adding them to the pot as you cut. When all of the chicken is in the pot, raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is almost cooked through, about 4 min.

5. Peel and coarsley chop the carrots, adding them to the pot as you chop. Coarsley dice the celery, adding it to the pot. Add garlic and ginger. Continue to cook stirring occasionally, until the celery is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the broth to the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook at a moderate boil to combine the flavors, 5 minutes. Season with black pepper. To serve, spoon some rice into each bowl and top it with the soup.

Easy Fresh Herb Marinara

From The Joy of Cooking. Perfect for when the basil bolts in July — I usually double or triple the batch. This can be a base sauce for lots of dishes, or just good over pasta with some fresh mozzarella and some grilled sausages on the side.

28 oz. can of whole tomatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, halved
6 sprigs fresh basil
6 springs fresh parsley

Simmer together over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. (Smash up the tomatoes with a spoon a bit). Remove from heat blend in your food processor or use an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.