More than five years ago, some friends and I had a book club. Over time we abandoned the books and started just getting together every couple of months for dinner. With the focus of our gatherings strictly on food, we did all sorts of creative things like have an evening devoted solely to appetizers, theme some meals around comfort food (read macaroni and cheese) and have several soup nights.
It's the soup night where I got this particular recipe. It's a meal that my friends Erin and Jamie grew up eating and it is easy to throw together, can expand indefinitely, it really hard to ruin and always tastes good. The main flavor players are a pound of ground beef (you could substitute ground turkey, chicken or a Quorn crumbles), a can of whole plum or roma tomatoes that you crush with your hands before adding to the pot and some fresh rosemary and thyme (substituting dried herbs is okay as well). I also sometimes throw in a single beef bouillon cube, to amp up the flavor (I realize that they are filled with chemicals, and yet they are so darn handy that I haven't been able to give them up). A bunch of veggies also go in and what you are left with is a flavorful, filling soup that is ready to eat in less than an hour (the pot I made last night was done in 40 minutes). This is also one that freezes well and I often have a small bag or two of it in the freezer for a quick lunch. The recipe is after the jump.
Long before I was born, my dad worked at the International House of Pancakes as a short order cook. Because of that experience, he developed something of an intense pancake and waffle philosophy that included what should go into the batter, how they should best be cooked and what belonged on top of a pancake or waffle. Thanks to him, I grew up eating some really excellent breakfast goods. 
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