White Bean Soup

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 of onion or 2-3 pinches of minced onion
2 spoonfuls of jarred minced garlic
2 (15 oz) cans of white kidney beans
2 stalks of celery
2 large carrots chopped
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
1 bundle of baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup of 6 blend cheese
Parmesan cheese
Black Pepper
2 pinches of thyme

In a medium size sauce pan, pour in oil and spread it so it evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Turn burner onto to medium heat. Once oil starts to warm up, throw in celery and onion. Cook celery and onions for about 5-10 minutes. Then add garlic; stir and cook for about 30 seconds then add broth and water. Add carrots, spices, and beans. Turn heat up but NOT on the high setting (in between medium and high). Cook for about ten minutes.

Remove as many of the vegetables as you can with a slotted spoon; place them in a bowl. Remove pan from heat and add cheeses. Stir with a whisk for about 30 seconds then place back on the burner. Return vegetables to the pan and stir often. Make sure the cheese doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add spinach and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off burner once the spinach has wilted and turned to a darker green. Add extra Parmesan before serving for topping if desired. ENJOY!

Lita's Manicotti

12 manicotti
Stuffing:
1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese
1/3 cup of ricotta cheese
2-3 handfuls of 6 blend cheese
2 spoonfuls of Italian Seasoning
2 spoonfuls of jarred minced garlic
2 pinches of minced onion
Topping:
A jar of Rinaldi's Tomato and Basil Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella for topping

Preheat oven at 350. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, throw in the pasta and cook until tender. Drain in a colander. Rinse in cold water for about 20 seconds and set aside.

While water is boiling,  combine cheeses and spices in a large bowl; stir until all ingredients are distributed evenly throughout the mix.Once pasta is cooked and rinsed, begin stuffing the cheese mix into the manicotti. Use all the cheese mix (if you need to make more then go for it. I guessed on the exact measurements because, as most of you know, the only time I measure is when I'm baking desserts). Once you've finished stuffing the manicotti, gently place them in the baking dish so they all fit. With a spoon, coat the pasta with the tomato sauce; then sprinkle mozzarella over the manicotti.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes and you are all set!

Lita's Linguine and Meat Sauce

1/2 box of whole wheat linguine
1 1/2 cups of Rinaldi's Tomato and Basil Sauce
1/4 lb of beef
1/3 cup of red wine
1/3 of an onion, finely chopped
2-3 pinches of garlic chips
2-3 pinches of parsley flakes
1 pinch of Italian Seasoning
Couple of shakes of grated Parmesan Cheese 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, brown the beef with onions and spices. Once beef is browned, add in tomato sauce, cheese, and wine. Stir until well blended then let simmer. Allow the meat and sauce to cook down a little bit.

Meanwhile, throw in pasta into the pot of hot water. Once tender, drain then serve with meat sauce. Delicious!

Stuffed Peppers for Two

2 bell peppers
1/3 cup of rice
3/4 cup of tomato sauce (I prefer Rinaldi's Tomato and Basil)
5 oz of ground beef
Garlic powder
Onion powder or minced onion
1 pinch of Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven at 375.

In a small pot of water, bring rice to a boil and cook until tender; drain. Meanwhile in a large pan, cook beef until brown all the way through. Set aside.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers. Throw out the stems, seeds, and membranes; chop the remaining of the tops into small chunks. Leave the rest of the peppers whole. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine rice, beef, spices, and sauce. Once combined, stuff the peppers with the rice mix. Place in a small baking dish and add a little extra tomato sauce on top of the peppers. Place in oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes.

Lita's Cream of Mushroom Chicken

A simple recipe that I adapted from the back of a soup can!

1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp of minced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 (10 3/4 oz) can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cups of water
2-4 chicken breasts, cubed
1-2 cups of elbow macaroni or egg noodles

In a small bowl, combine olive oil and spices. In a medium size skillet or medium heat, throw in olive oil/spice mixture; add chicken and cooked until browned on all sides.Once chicken is browned, add soup and 3/4 cup of water into the skillet with the olive oil mix; heat to a boil then turn burner down to a low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; once the water is at a rolling boil, add pasta of your choice. Once pasta is tender, drain in a colander and dish onto plates. Serve chicken and soup mix over noodles and voila! Add pepper or other garnishes of your choice!