Meatball Minestrone

Years ago I was given a cookbook called “Cheap.  Fast.  Good!” by a colleague at work.  I really love this cookbook – quick and easy dinners with things that you usually have around the house.  I have a lot of vegetable soups that I make but I like the added meatballs in this one and the angel hair pasta.  It ends up being a little more of a stew than a soup because there isn’t a ton of broth.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 can (14 oz) chicken broth

-1 can (14 oz) beef broth

-2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

-1 can (14.5 oz) stewed or diced tomatoes

-20 already-cooked meatballs (I use frozen – can thaw or add frozen)

-1/3 cup broken angel hair pasta (1 to 2 inch lengths)

-1 can (15 oz) light red kidney beans

-1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1.  Pour the two broths into a Dutch oven or soup pot and place over high heat.  While the liquid is heating, add the frozen vegetables, tomatoes, meatballs, and pasta.  Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.  This will take about 10 minutes.

2.  While the soup is heating, rinse and drain the beans.

3.  When the soup comes to a boil, uncover it and stir well, making sure to stir along the bottom in case the pasta sticks.  Add the beans, Italian seasoning and garlic powder and reduce the heat to medium or medium-high (to maintain a vigorous boil).  Stir frequently until the pasta is tender, about 3 minutes.  Serve at once. 

BLT Chicken Soup

If you have The Cooking Channel, you must watch (or DVR) Rachel Ray’s new show, “Week in a Day.”  She makes 5 dishes in one day that will last all week.  I used to do this when I worked full time and didn’t have the energy to cook each night.  She makes a lot of spicy things so I don’t get too many off the show, but this recipe sounded too good to not give a go.  We enjoyed it, but we really like soups with thicker broths so just know that it’s more of a chicken broth soup. 

Ingredients:

-2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 lb)

-1 cup dry white wine (we don’t drink and don’t have wine in the house so I used chicken stock)

-Peel of 1 lemon

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 onion, peeled and quartered with root end attached

-2 bay leaves

-About 1 quart water

-2 large or 3-4 medium leeks (I left this out)

-6 slices lean bacon, chopped

-2 carrots, peeled and chopped

-2-3 ribs celery, chopped

-1 pint grape tomatoes

-2 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped (I used dried)

-4 cups chicken stock

-1 cup gemelli pasta (I used small shells)

Directions:

1.  Place the chicken, wine, lemon peel, onion, and 1 bay leaf in a small pot.  Add about 1 quart of water or enough to cover the top of the chicken meat, bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and gently poach until cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Cool the chicken until it is easy to handle, then dice or shred.  Strain and reserve about 5 cups of the poaching liquid.

2.  Trim the leeks and halve lengthwise, then cut into 1” half-moons, wash in the sink or large bowl filled with cold water.  Dry the leeks on a clean kitchen towel and reserve.

3.  Heat about 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp at the edges, 3 minutes.  Add 1 bay leaf, carrots, celery, leeks, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and thyme.  Cook 12 to 15 minutes covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and tomatoes burst. 

4.  Add pasta and cook per package directions.

Foodie Friday

Friday Favorites

Pasta Fagioli

So, if you haven’t seen the news all week, you may not know that we have been living in an Ice World here in Dallas.  We got 4” of sleet/snow on Tuesday morning, another 3” of snow on top of that last night and it won’t go away until maybe tomorrow or Sunday.  Yippee!  We’re getting some MAJOR cabin fever, but at least we have some warm things to eat.  Found this recipe in Family Circle Magazine and knew I had to try it.  If you are afraid to branch out with the white beans and kale, don’t be – they don’t have a ton of flavor in this so it’s a good way to try something new.  It calls for 2 cans of beans but I’m only using 1 next time so there is more broth.

Ingredients:

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 onion, diced

-3 cloves garlic, chopped

-1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

-2 cans (14.5oz each) chicken broth

-8 oz (2 cups) small pasta shells

-1 tsp Italian seasoning

-1 bunch fresh kale, tough stems discarded, cut into 1” pieces and washed

-2 cans (or just 1) small white beans, drained and rinsed

-1 Tbsp tomato paste

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

-Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 5 minutes.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

2.  Stir in tomatoes, broth and 3 cups water.  Bring to a simmer over high heat.  Add pasta and Italian seasoning.  Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

3.  Stir in kale; cook 5 minutes more.  Reduce heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Heat through.

4.  Ladle into bowls; garnish with Parmesan.

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Mom’s Beef and Vegetable Soup

Okay, so it’s cold in Texas.  Go ahead and laugh, those of you from the East Coast who are buried until feet of snow.  But 30 degree temperatures with wind chills in the single digits is cold to a Native Texan.  So it’s soup time!  This is my mother-in-law’s recipe and we first had it on vacation a few weeks ago.  It’s a great twist on a traditional soup.  Plus, anything where you just open a bunch of cans and throw it in a pot is a winner in my book.  This soup gets better over time so make it a day in advance!  Made a LARGE pot – fed 3 people for almost 4 days.

Ingredients:

-1 pound stew beef or beef roast, cut into bite size pieces

-1 quart water (4 cups)

-2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

-1.5 cups carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces (I used baby carrots – about half a small bag

-1 onion, chopped

-1 can diced tomatoes

-1 can green beans, drained

-1 can whole kernel corn, drained

-1 can creamed corn

-7 oz ketchup

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Cook meat and onion until tender and meat is browned; drain if needed.  Add all other ingredients.  Simmer 30 minutes.

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Chicken & Vegetable Chowder/Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Have you seen the food blog, www.inspired2cook.com?  I love searching her site and seeing what I can come up with.  This week I took her Chicken & Vegetable Chowder recipe (found HERE) and embellished it a little.  Now, this recipe stands up well on it’s own, don’t get me wrong.  But my Mom and I have been lunching at Jason’s Deli a lot lately and I was desperate to imitate their Chicken Pot Pie soup.  Especially with the colder weather.

So I took the soup recipe and just added a puff pastry square on top.  You simply buy the puff pastry sheet, cut it into 9 squares and bake as per the directions on the box.  It really adds a nice little touch to this soup.  Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Soup

If the title doesn’t make you drool, something might be wrong with your taste buds!  I first heard of Cheeseburger Soup on an episode of “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” on the Food Network.  It sounded delicious.  A few months later we had some missionary friends stay with us and they left me a cookbook as a thank you.  It is “Family and Friends Favorite Recipes” by Margaret and Branson Gayler of Rome, Georgia.  This is one of those soups that I get sad when the leftovers and over!  I have a vegetarian friend who uses the veggie crumbles in this instead of the beef and still enjoys it. 

Ingredients:

-½ lb ground beef

-¾ c shredded carrots

-¾ c diced celery

-¾ c chopped onions

-1 tsp dried basil

-1 tsp dried parsley flakes

-4 T butter, divided

-3 c chicken broth

-4 c diced, peeled potatoes (about 1 ¾ lbs)

-¼ to ½ c flour

-1.5 c milk

-8 oz Velveeta

-1 tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper

-¼ c sour cream

Directions:

1.  Brown the beef in a 3 quart saucepan, drain and set aside.  In another saucepan, sauté the onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 Tbsp butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. 

Add broth, potatoes and beef, bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 -12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. 

2.  In a small skillet, melt the remaining butter, add flour and cook, while stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbly.  Add this mixture to the soup and bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes. 

3.  Reduce heat to low and add cheese, milk, salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from the heat and blend in the sour cream. 

 

Pork Posole & Corn Bread

I saw this recipe in Family Circle magazine and thought it looked pretty good, even though I had never heard of it.  Come to find out that it’s a pretty popular Mexican dish.  The hearty stew is filling and yummy, and you can’t beat the sweet corn bread on top.  Slow cooker recipes make me happy!  This one lasted us about 3 nights so it’s perfect to cook on a Sunday night and enjoy during the week.

Meal Planning: This dish is pretty all inclusive so you don’t necessarily need anything added!  Meat, veggies and bread all in one.

Ingredients:
-3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, well trimmed and cut into 1” chunks

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1 Tbsp canola oil

-4 large carrots, cut into 3/4” pieces

-2 onions, chopped

-3 stalks celery, chopped (this one isn’t in the recipe, but I usually add it anyway)

-2 Tbsp flour

-3 tsp chili powder

-1 tsp dried oregano

-1.5 cups chicken broth

-1 box (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix

-2 eggs

-Zest of 1 lime plus 1 Tbsp lime juice

-1 can (15 oz) white hominy, rinsed and drained

-2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1.  Sprinkle pork with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook pork 5 minutes, stirring often, in batches, or until browned.  Remove pork to slow cooker (I usually let it sit on paper towels for a minute to get the excess oil off).

2.  Add carrots and onions (celery too) to skillet and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Stir in flour, chili powder, oregano, and garlic; cook 1 minute then remove to slow cooker. 

Add broth to skillet and bring to a boil (scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the seasoning up as it boils); pour into slow cooker.  Cover; cook on High for 4.5 hours or Low for 6.5 hours.

3.  When there is 1 hour cook time remaining, stir together corn muffin mix, eggs, lime zest, 1 tsp cilantro and 1/4 cup water.  Removed cover; stir in hominy, lime juice and 2 Tbsp cilantro.  Dollop corn muffin mixture on top.  Place cotton dish towel over slow cooker bowl then top with cover; cook for remaining cook time or until top is firm.

Garden Patch Minestrone

So, yes, it’s another soup.  Yes, it’s 103 degrees out.  But soups are quick and easy and always welcomed in this house.  This recipe reminds of one of those “Semi Homemade Meals” by Sandra Lee – part fresh cut veggies and part pre-packaged foods.  Don’t be afraid of the Hamburger Helper in this meal.  You use it for the noodles and seasoning and it makes this dish excellent!  Recipe from Betty Crocker.

Meal Planning: Served with Lemon Bread or English Muffin Bread

Ingredients:

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-2 medium carrots, sliced

-2 medium stalks celery, sliced

-1 small onion, chopped

-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (can sprinkle in some garlic powder instead)

-1 medium zucchini, sliced (we love zucchini so I used 2 instead)

-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (can substitute 1 tsp dried basil or Italian seasoning)

-1 box Hamburger Helper beef pasta

-1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained

-5 cups hot water

Directions:

1.  In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic, cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are almost tender.

2.  Stir in zucchini, basil, uncooked pasta and sauce mix (from Hamburger Helper), beans, tomatoes and hot water.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until  pasta and vegetables are tender.

Joining the link parties below.  Just a word about that – I enjoy link parties because it’s a great way to get the word out about this little world of mine.  If you are visiting from a link party, please do not feel obligated to join this blog.  I only want you to follow if you like what you see – recipes, home stuff, and a few crafts now and then.  On the same note, I only follow blogs that have the same things as that (mostly crafts for little girls and recipes).  Just wanted to get that out there.  Thanks!

Meatball Stew

First, I want to say WELCOME to all of my fabulous new followers!  I am so excited to have you aboard.  What a great feeling to know that there are actually PEOPLE out there READING your blog!  I never thought the day would come.  Thank you again!

Okay, so I know that it is 103 degrees out.  But I love soups and stews any time of year.  There is always something so comforting about a big bowl of soup.  I love this stew because it’s pretty quick and easy but it really has a great flavor for having so few ingredients.  Recipe from the “Dough Magic” cookbook by Pillsbury.

I’m also going to start listing the whole meal for those who like to meal plan.  We had this with English Muffin Bread.  Always a winner! 

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

-1 egg, beaten

-1/4 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

-1 lb ground beef

Stew:

-1 can condensed tomato soup

-1 1/4 c water

-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

-1 (16 oz) pkg frozen mixed vegetables

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray 13x9” pan with nonstick cooking spray.  In large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients; mix well.  Shape mixture into 36 (1 1/4”) meatballs; place in sprayed pan.

2.  Bake at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked.

3.  Meanwhile, in large pot, combine all stew ingredients; mix well.  Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.

4.  Drain meatballs; add to stew.  Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes or until meatballs are warmed through with stew.

Cheesy Potato and Corn Chowder

This is definitely one of my "go to" recipes. It freezes really well too, so it's great to make in advance or give to someone having a baby. This comes from the "All Recipes" Cookbook. A great find at Half Price Books. They also have a website, http://www.allrecipes.com/.


Ingredients:
-2 Tbsp butter
-1 c chopped celery
-1 c chopped onion
-28 oz chicken broth
-3 c peeled and cubed potatoes (about 3 large baking potatoes)
-1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
-1 (2 oz) pkg country gravy mix
-2 c milk
-1 c shredded cheese (any kind that you like - I use the pizza blend)

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potato; cook over low to medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until potato is soft, stirring occasionally. Once potatoes are cooked, mash them. (I use a handheld mixer, but you can also just use a potato masher. Mash until the consistency you want - I like it a little chunky. :)

Before mashing:
After mashing:

3. Stir in corn; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

And of course, a little cheese on top. :)

Southwestern Soup

I hesitate to say "soup" because this is so rich and hearty and there really isn't a ton of broth to it. But it is DELICIOUS!! Especially when it is cold outside. Super fast too. Goes great with the English Muffin Bread. I found this in "Southern Living" magazine from January 2009.

Ingredients:
-1 lb ground beef
-1 cup coarsely chopped onion
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (light or dark, your choice)
-1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
-1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes and jalapenos, undrained
-1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes and mild green chiles, undrained (i.e. Rotel)
-1 (14 oz) can beef broth
-2 cups frozen yellow and white whole kernel corn (equals 1 16 oz bag)
-1 (1 oz) envelope taco seasoning mix
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
(Naptime notes: I don't do fresh garlic since I don't use it enough and it goes bad, so I just sprinkle a little garlic powder in once the beef is cooked. Also, we don't like major spicy so instead of the can of tomatoes and jalapenos, I just use a regular can of diced tomatoes in juice. I also don't do fresh herbs for the same reason as the garlic, so I skip the cilantro, but I think it would be yummy in this.)

1. Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large Dutch oven (or stew pot) over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink and onion is softened; drain.

2. Stir in kidney beans, next 8 ingredients, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sir in cilantro just before serving.

So Yummy!! Top with sour cream or lots of CHEESE. We eat this with lots of Ritz crackers too.