Ravioli Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 c. water

2 28-oz can crushed tomatoes *

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. minced parsley, fresh **

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 t. dried basil

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. onion salt ***

1/2 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. dried thyme

1 9-oz pkg refrigerated cheese ravioli ****

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

additional minced fresh parsley, optional

* I only had diced tomatoes on hand

** I only had dried on hand

*** I didn't have any onion salt, so I used onion powder

****We only had the frozen kind, so I just cooked it before hand according to the directions

Recipe:

1. In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, parsley, garlic, and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. Add to soup and heat through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

This is NOT a soup. The recipe might claim to be a soup, but in reality, it turns out to be a thick and delicious meat sauce. The next time I make this I'll definitely be serving it as the sauce and put it with spaghetti noodles. I'll also cut back on the oregano and thyme. I thought those tastes were a bit too overpowering.

Source: TasteofHome.com, Ravioli Soup

Braised Balsamic Chicken

No, this food has not been eaten yet. Just cut up a little.

Ingredients: **I halved the recipe**

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

ground black pepper to taste

1 t. garlic salt

2 T. olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced *

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1 t. dried basil

1 t. oregano

1 t. rosemary

1/2 t. dried thyme

*The usual dried chopped onion substitute.

***TIP: Italian Seasoning usually is a combination of the above ingredients. The type of Italian Seasoning I buy has just oregano and thyme. This might save you a trip to the store!***

Recipe:

1. Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.

2. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken and add basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

3. Serve on rice or pasta.

Rating: 3 of 5

This was a pretty good recipe. We ate the chicken on spaghetti noodles. The chicken turned out pretty tender, but we aren't a huge strong balsamic-taste fans. That being said, I liked enough to make it again some day. I honestly don't think seasoning the chicken does a thing since I couldn't taste the pepper or the garlic salt, but whatever!

Source: AllRecipes: Dinner Tonight, pg. 131