taco-soupHappy Martin Luther King Day for all you who live in the U.S. In case you missed it, last week’s post includes seven quotes from Mr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for you to share with your families during FHE or along with your daily family scripture study.

Quick Dinner Recipe

I asked a friend what her go-to recipes are for FHE when time is tight and here’s her answer.

“Hmm …. does mac and cheese with peas mixed in count?  🙂 My other go-to is Taco Soup.” Below is the recipe she uses.

Taco Soup

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp dried minced onions
  • 1 or 2 cloves of diced garlic (I use the stuff from a jar)
  • 2 cans black beans
  • 1 can chili beans
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup frozen corn (or canned corn, whatever)
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin

Brown the garlic and onions in the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

You can modify this recipe to taste and use whatever you have on hand: sour cream, ground beef, avocados, whatever!

Tina’s Tips – Sneaking in Veggies

fheasy-family-health-easy-squash

Squash are GREAT to steam, blend, and sneak into things! Their mild flavor blends into the background, giving great nutrition and fiber without altering flavor.

In next week’s post, I’ll be sharing 5 easy ways to vegify your family. One is to blend veggies and add them to soups.

Taco soup is probably the easiest thing to add veggies into! You can do any color and pretty much any kind and they all just blend right in and no one notices! I have added cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, peas, spinach, and kale to my taco soup and my husband LOVES the end result.

One thing to keep in mind here is that if you use green veggies (particularly spinach or kale), they will look VERY green when you first stir them in, but usually they blend in and everything looks brownish like normal. If the soup sits for a while, the green can settle on the top again. Just something to keep in mind if your family is kind of repulsed by green stuff. Stir before showing them the soup!

Doctor’s Choice Chili by The Sneaky Chef, Missy Chase Lapine

If you’re interested in sneaking in veggies by blending them and adding them to recipes, you should check out Missy Chase Lapine‘s webiste, TheSneakyChef.com. This is where I originally learned the technique and I love it!

Here’s her recipe “Doctor’s Choice Chili” that has cauliflower, zucchini, peas, broccoli, and spinach. It’s delicious! If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, though, reduce the chili powder and skip the cayenne.

This is a great recipe to freeze, too. I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze any leftovers for later. When family home evening comes around, I just pull it out of the freezer, heat it up, and serve.

Happy Home Evenings!


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