Italian pantry soup

I love Olive Garden's zuppa toscana.  It is the only way I think I would have tried kale, initially.  You have to remember I was a picky eater, up until about 7 years ago.  The only cooked vegetables I would eat were corn and potatoes.  Really.  I have come a long way since then, but I still am looking to increase my veggie intake, and really, shouldn't we all increase our vegetable intake?  This soup was born of my love for the zuppa at OG, but I was hampered by what I actually had in house.  And instead of making a special trip to the store to buy ingredients, I decided to bastardize my own version of the soup.  It was a very delicious experiment!

Italian pantry soup
1 can white cannelini beans, well-rinsed
4 Italian (chicken) sausages
1 tsp. oil
1 large russet potato, washed and sliced thin
6 c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 large bunch kale, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. better than bouillon soup base

In a high-sided skillet, warm oil and brown sausages on all sides.  Remove to a plate and cut length-wise and return to pan to brown insides.  Remove to a paper plate and cut into bite-sized pieces and allow to drain.  In a crockpot or large stock pot, put beans, sausage pieces, sliced potato, onion, garlic, water, and soup base.  Cook on low in crock for ~6 hrs. or on stove-top in stock pot until potato is fork tender.  When soup is ready, add kale and cover for 5-10 minutes to wilt kale.  Serve hot.

If you like it hot, you could add some crushed red pepper.  If you like it creamy, like OG's, you could add either some heavy cream, a dollop of cream cheese or sour cream, or pureed potatoes to the broth in order to give it that creamy consistency.

Lazy Day Stew

This is one of the previously mentioned freezer meals as well.  If you want to see any of the meal recipes in their original format, please follow the links in my original freezer meals introductory post. This recipe was very hearty and flavorful; I served it with pasta to soak up some of the juices and my husband said it was even better the next day as leftovers for his lunch.  The original recipe calls for potatoes, but I omitted them from my freezer bags in order to have more versatility.  I figured I could always throw potatoes into the crockpot if I wanted it to be an actual stew.  This recipe makes two freezer meals - divide evenly between two gallon-sized zip-top freezer bags, and lay flat to freeze.

Lazy Day Stew
4 lbs cubed stewing beef
10 oz pkg dried lima beans
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce (one in each bag)
2 Tbs. brown sugar (one in each bag)
4 c. baby carrots, sliced
2 c. onions chopped
2 c. celery chopped
2 t. minced garlic
2 large or 4 md. bay leaves
2 tsp. seasoning salt
2 c. water/broth (1 c. per meal, to be added at time of cooking)

Split between two bags.  Add 1 c. water/broth at time of cooking; cook on low 4-6 hours.  Serve as a soup, over noodles or rice, or with a big hunk of crusty bread for sopping up juices.

For a delicious, non-tomato based stew, check out my oven stew recipe!

Pesto Pork

The original recipe calls for 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  But I had a rolled pork roast (bought as part of a package of pork loin roasts) from Costco, so I decided to give this recipe a try with pork. I also used Costco pesto sauce, bought in the refrigerated section.  I would not recommend using a shelf-stable pesto with this recipe, mostly because those tend to be made from dried basil and consist mostly of oil.  Homemade pesto would be ideal, though I have to tell you that the Kirkland's Signature pesto is a very close second, in my book, to homemade.  If freezer cooking, double the recipe and divide between two gallon-sized freezer zip-top plastic bags.

Crockpot Pesto Pork
1 4-lb pork roast/pork loin
1/2 c. prepared pesto sauce
1/4 t. black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 c. chicken broth (add when putting into crockpot)

Place all ingredients in crockpot (if freezer cooking, no need to thaw ahead of time); cook on high for 5-6 hours.  Pork will shred easily with tongs.

I served ours with steamed broccoli and brown rice, both seasoned with my homemade seasoning salt.  We will definitely be able to get a second meal out of this.  Maybe pesto pork tacos....

Crockpot garlic beer chicken

If you're on pinterest, odds are that you've seen the pins for the garlic chicken (baked in the oven) and the crockpot beer chicken.  I've made each recipe separately, but I decided to mash them together this time, and let me tell you - the results were mouth-watering!

Crockpot garlic beer chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 12-oz. bottle of beer
3 cloves garlic, minced
herbs and salt and pepper to taste
1/2 large onion, cut into chunky rings

Spray crock with non-stick spray.  Place onion on bottom of crockpot and lay chicken on top.  Sprinkle with seasonings, pour beer over top, and top with garlic.  Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

I tossed in some halved baby red potatoes to soak up the goodness and provide a ready starch for the meal.  I served steamed corn on the side.  If you don't serve the broth, ladle it out and freeze it in an ice cube tray to use to flavor other meals :)

Healthier Oven-fried Tilapia

My family and I love fish.  We especially love fish and chips.  But that isn't exactly the healthiest way to enjoy a lean protein.  I was trolling through the trillions of tilapia recipes online and I found several that had elements I liked.  So I decided to do what I do best - mash them up and make my own!  Below, please find my new favorite oven-friend fish recipe.

Healthier Oven-fried Tilapia
2 fillets tilapia, thawed and patted dry
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 c. panko bread crumbs
scant 1/16 tsp. chili powder
scant 1/8 tsp. (Hungarian) paprika
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill
1-2 tsp. (vegetable) oil

Line a large baking sheet with foil and drizzle with oil.  In a shallow dish, mix together bread crumbs, chili powder, paprika, and dill.  Coat tilapia fillets with mustard and then dredge in crumb mixture. Lay coated fillets on oiled baking sheet and loosely tent with foil.  Bake in a 425 degree oven 20-25 minutes, until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Simple Chicken Guacamole Tostadas w/ Spanish Rice

If you watch Food Network, you might be familiar with Sandra Lee and her Semi-Homemade Meals show. I took a page out of her book last night and I whipped up some simple tostadas, blending some ideas I found on pinterest with my own recipe for tostadas.  If you've never had tostadas or don't usually make them, I like them as an alternative to tacos, just to switch it up - it's basically an open-faced soft taco, but the combinations and flavor possibilities are endless.  I also made a quick cilantro and onion relish and let it marinate while I was doing the rice and mixing together the chicken topping for the tostadas - my husband loved it!  Use the recipes below to create a meal or use them to create elements of a meal.

Spanish Rice
1 Tbsp butter (unsalted)
1/2 c. (jasmine) rice (don't use a minute rice here, use a long cooking one)
1 14.5 oz. can (reduced sodium) chicken broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground oregano

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, melt butter and toast rice until grains are solid in color and brown (it should smell toasty), stirring frequently.  Pour in chicken broth and tomato sauce and stir well to combine.  Add in spices and stir; bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Stir occasionally until rice is cooked through and liquid is absorbed.

Quick Cilantro Onion Relish
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp. chopped cilantro (I used a prepared cilantro paste I bought in the produce section - it stays fresh so much longer!)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir to combine, and let sit while dinner cooks!  Use to garnish tostadas.

Chicken Guacamole Tostadas
4 fajita-sized tortillas (I used corn, that's what I had on hand)
1 can cooked chicken
1 c. prepared guacamole (I used Wholly Guacamole, purchased from Costco)
1/2 c. shredded low-fat cheese (I used part-skim mozzarella)

Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 350.  In a medium-sized bowl, mix together drained, cooked chicken and guacamole (chicken should shred nicely).  Place tortillas on foil-lined baking sheet; divide chicken topping into four equal parts and spread on tortillas, as evenly as possible.  Top with cheese and bake in oven until heated through and the cheese is melted and golden in color.

Black bean burgers

This is a recipe I got from a registered dietitian.  They are delicious substitutes for beef burgers, though you need to be very careful turning them.  To cook them on the grill, use foil or a heavy bottomed pan - do not cook directly on the grate - they will fall through and you will have a stinky burning mess...

• 2 cups cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can black beans


• 1 whole egg


• ½ cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs


• 1 teaspoon chilli powder


• ½ teaspoon cumin


• ¼ cup water


• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (or ketchup)


• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)


• 2 cloves garlic


• ½ small onion


• About 2 tablespoons olive oil (if you are going to use the stove top)


• Whole wheat buns

1)      Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl.  You don't want to puree them, just get them mashed so that no whole beans are left, but you should leave some half beans.

2)      Add the egg, bread crumbs, chilli powder, cumin, water, and tomato paste (and cilantro, if using), but don't mix yet.  Use a micro plane grater to grate the garlic in (a garlic press works well too.)  Use the large holes on a box grater to grate in the onion.

3)      Mix everything together with a fork, and then proceed to knead with your hands, until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed (about a minute)

4)      Preheat the grill / or a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.

5)      Divide the burger mixture into 5-6 equal burgers

Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes per side, or until solid in center.  *Tip: to make better patties with your mixture, get two small bowls that will nest.  Line the inside of one with plastic wrap, put your bean mixture inside, fold the corners in and use the second bowl to form the patty.  Place patties in freezer for 15-20 minutes.  Patties will be firm enough to place on cook surface without falling apart

Just another note: my friend just made these for the first time and said that she formed them into balls, placed them in the frying pan, and then smooshed them down with a spatula she had sprayed with cooking oil.  Her method sounds much easier!!

Chicken kebab marinade

So, this works best if you can let the chicken marinate for 6 hours.  I also used sweet onions, yellow peppers, and grape tomatoes on the kabobs.  And, as always, soak skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to avoid burning.

3/4 c. soy sauce

3/4 c. pineapple juice (or 1-6 oz. can)

1/4 c. cooking oil

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer five

minutes. Cool before marinating chicken.  Marinate at least 4 hours in refrigerator.  If doing veggies, marinate veggies separately from chicken, as chicken can contaminate the veggies.  Skewer and grill for about 20 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.

Wet burritos

I grew up in Michigan, where wet burritos are apparently pretty localized.  For those of you unfamiliar with wet burritos, they are your typical burrito, except they are smothered in a ranchero-type sauce and covered with cheese.

1 lb. ground beef, thawed

1 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 small onions, chopped

1 pkg Taco Seasoning

1 can Refried Beans

1 can tomato sauce + 1 can water

1 pkg Enchilada Seasoning Mix

1 Tbsp. cornstarch in 3 Tbsp. cold water

4 large (burrito) flour tortillas

1-2  bags Shredded Mexican or Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Lettuce, Tomatoes, Green/Red Sweet Peppers (optional)

Sour Cream, Salsa, Guacamole (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Brown ground beef in oil, garlic and onion.

Add Taco Seasoning and Refried Beans.

Sauce:

In saucepan, add tomato sauce, 1 can water, and Burrito Seasoning.  Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

Slowly whisk corn starch mixture in tomato mixture until desired texture.

In bottom of 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 c. sauce.

Layer 4 large tortillas in pan....overlapping is ok.

Add meat mixture with a little sauce over it, even amounts of meat/beans over the four tortillas.

You may add veggies at this point or choose to have them on the side.

Roll burritos seperately.  First you fold in the sides, then roll it completely shut.

Pour remaining sauce on top, saturating the burritos.

Layer each burrito with a considerable amount of cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

***If you chose to have veggies on top, add them just before serving, or on the side.  Serve with your choice of sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.  You can also serve with tortilla chips for scooping up excess sauce and filling mixture.

Stuffed porkchops Florentine

In cooking and recipes, Florentine usually means something is in a cream sauce with spinach.  This is a great way to incorporate spinach into a meal plan without having to serve spinach alone as a side.  Also, whenever serving dark greens, like spinach, it is a good idea to season with some nutmeg, as this will enhance the natural flavors of the greens.

4 pork chops (bone in preferable)

1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and cooled, with all excess water squeezed out

1/4 c. asiago cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp. heavy cream (or milk)

1 egg

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 c. chicken broth

toothpicks

Pat porkchops dry with a paper towel, and slice into flesh opposite bone to create a pocket to stuff.  In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, cheese, cream, egg, nutmeg, and pepper - mixture will be very thick.  Stuff 1/4 of mixture into porkchop and thread toothpick through edge to seal.  Repeat for other three chops.  In a large oven-safe skillet with lid, sear porkchops over high heat (allow to brown about 5 minutes per side without disturbing - when chop is deeply golden brown, flip over and repeat).  Add broth to bottom of pan, cover, and transfer to 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, until cooked through.

Broccoli cheese soup

I love broccoli cheese soup.  In fact, I love Panera's broccoli cheese soup so much that I would eat it weekly if I could.  No joke.  This recipe is so delicious (and easy!) that it definitely rivals Panera's.  And in the bread bowls that my grocery store sells, it's even got the same feeling as eating some Panera soup.  Eat on and enjoy!

4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 c. cream (or whole milk)

4 oz. shredded aged cheddar cheese

1 c. water

1/2 c. flour

1 Tbsp. onion, minced

1/4 c. carrot, finely shredded

1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 c. broccoli florets

In a large saucepan, bring broth, cream, cheddar, water, flour, onion, carrot, and pepper to a boil.  (For best results, whisk together flour and water in a separate bowl, then add to pot.)  Reduce heat to a simmer, and stir in broccoli florets.  Allow to simmer 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Makes 4 servings.

*Note:  I also stirred in a hefty dash of white pepper and a parmesan cheese rind I had (the very tough part at the wide end of a wedge).  Even without, though, it's delicious

Macaroni and Cheese

I made this for our toddler, so I omitted salt and pepper from the cooking process.  Also, since I used Parmesan, you would need significantly less salt, as it is a very salty cheese.  I used 1 1/2 c. cheddar, 1 1/2 c. Parmesan, and 1 c. cubed American.

1 lb elbow macaroni

1 stick butter

1/2 c. flour

1 c. milk (plus additional, if needed)

1/4-1/2 c. sour cream

1 Tbsp. (dijon) mustard

4 c. cheese

Breadcrumbs (optional)

Salt

Pepper

Thyme (optional)

Cook macaroni 3-5 minutes shy of al dente.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350º.  In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; whisk in flour.  Continue whisking until roux turns a golden brown (this is important, otherwise your mac and cheese will taste like flour); slowly whisk in milk, continuing to whisk to break up lumps.  When mixture is smooth, add in sour cream, dijon, and salt and pepper.  Using a spoon, stir in cheese and continue stirring until mixture is smooth and melty - you may need to add more milk to create a thick sauce.  Drain pasta completely and transfer to baking dish; pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to combine.  Sprinkle top of pasta with breadcrumbs (if you want a crunchy top) and season lightly with thyme.  Bake for at least 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

To reheat, moisten slightly with chicken broth or milk and microwave in 45 second intervals until desired temperature is reached.

Easy Chicken Breasts

This is an easy and quick recipe I use as a go-to.  There is minimal prep and minimal dishes to do afterward.  Always a plus.

4 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Poultry seasoning
Chicken broth
1 6-oz. can of tomato paste (little can)

Drizzle large skillet with a 4-count of EVOO. Turn heat to low-medium. Season both sides of chicken breast with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Put into pan and leave to carmelize (about 5-10 minutes) before turning. Allow to carmelize another 5-10 minutes on side 2. Once good carmelization is achieved, add tomato paste to pan. Add 12 ounces (fill up the tomato paste can twice) of chicken broth and use spoon to break up tomato paste. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce is reduced almost by half.

Mozzarella stuffed meatballs

This is one of my favorite and easy recipes.  You can serve these giant meatballs with pasta, on a sandwich roll, or just by themselves in the sauce.  They are pretty filling, and they reheat well.

2 lbs bulk sausage, or sausage links (uncooked), casings removed
12 pieces bocconcini, cherry size (fresh mozzarella balls packed in water, available in the cheese case)
1-28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1-8 oz. container pesto
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove bocconcini from water to drain.

Drizzle sheet pan with evoo.

Remove sausage from casings and create one ball of meat in a bowl (if using links). Score meat into quarters (to ensure meatballs are same size). Divide each quarter into thirds. Put one mozzarella ball into sausage meat and form a ball around it. Roll the meatball in the oil and arrange on sheet pan. Repeat until 12 balls are formed. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Empty tomatos into sauté pan; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with evoo. Add pesto and stir to incorporate. Spoon over meatballs when finished.

Serves 4