Italian wedding soup.
January 8, 2014 § 1 Comment
Folks, I just have one more meatball-related recipe for you – Italian wedding soup!
When I was a kid, I thought this was a soup that Italian people ate at weddings. Seems logical, right? Well I just Googled wedding soup and learned that “wedding soup” actually means “married soup”—referring to the marrying of the flavors of green vegetables and meat. Now you know.
Typically, this soup contains some sort of green leafy vegetable, such as escarole or spinach or curly endive, and meat – usually a small meatball made of beef and pork, cooked in a chicken broth.
Chances are, you’ve had this soup before. You’ve probably had several varieties. For this soup, I used my own Italian meatball recipe. I rolled smaller meatballs with this soup in mind, but you could totally cut larger meatballs in half or quarters. Otherwise, I loosely followed Giada de Laurentiis’s recipe, with some minor changes and some additions to make the soup more hearty. This girl needs sustenance!
A quick note: You can really play with the ingredients of this soup. Add as many meatballs or as much shredded chicken or as much pasta as you like, etc. You get the idea!
Italian Wedding Soup
What you need:
- 20 small Italian meatballs, or several large meatballs cut into small pieces
- 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups of small pasta shells
- 1 pound spinach, finely chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan, plus extra for topping
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
What to do:
If your meatballs are not already prepared, make them! Otherwise, make sure you have the cooked meatballs ready to go. If using meatballs that were previously frozen, I suggest defrosting them before adding to the soup. Also cook and shred your chicken breast.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Season the broth with the dried basil, salt, ground black pepper, and dried oregano, or an Italian seasoning blend of your choice. Add 2 cups of small shells to the pasta and boil for 8 minutes, until pasta is tender. Now add the meatballs and the chopped spinach to the broth. Cook for 5 minutes, then lower the soup to a simmer. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and the Parmesan cheese until blended. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the soup, while continuously stirring the soup in a circular motion. By stirring gently, you will form thin strands of egg in the broth. This should take about 1-2 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and stir well. Taste the soup, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Serve in bowls topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Note: Don’t be alarmed if your meatballs crumble while simmering. Mine became so tender that they broke apart easily while I stirred the soup. This is a good thing!
Italian meatballs in homemade tomato sauce.
January 6, 2014 § Leave a comment
As promised, I’m sharing the next recipe in my meatball series: Italian meatballs in homemade tomato sauce!
These are the Castelli Family meatballs I shared last week, simmered in a red wine tomato sauce. This is my Mom’s sauce recipe, inspired by the sauce her mother, my Nonna, used to make. As a warning, it makes a lot: I had plenty to serve with meatballs and pasta for 6 people on New Year’s Day, plus leftovers that lasted a week, plus three small containers in the freezer for later. I definitely recommend freezing the sauce in small containers (as opposed to one large container) that you can defrost and use as you need it — makes for some easy dinner nights!
With these cold temperatures, I find a large stockpot of this sauce simmering on the stove so comforting. It doesn’t hurt that it smells divine, either.
Italian Meatballs in Homemade Tomato Sauce
Recipe from Barbara Doyle (my mom!)
What you need:
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp dried celery flakes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes with herbs
- 1 28-ounce can of chopped Italian tomatoes
- 2 28-ounce cans of tomato sauce
- 1 28-ounce can of tomato puree
- 1 15-ounce can of tomato paste
- 3/4 cup red wine
- Cooked Italian meatballs
Note: I used the Dei Fratelli brand of canned tomato products. Hunts is a good alternative.
What to do:
Finely chop your celery and onion, and mince your garlic.
Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and garlic, and cook until the celery and onion are very soft or becoming translucent. Then, add a teaspoon each of the crushed red pepper, dried celery flakes, italian seasoning, and dried parsley. If you do not have Italian seasoning, add a blend of dried basil and oregano. Mix in the spices well.
Now, add all of your canned tomatoes except the tomato paste. To recap, that’s 2 cans crushed, 1 can chopped, 2 cans sauce, and 1 can of puree. Stir well, then bring the mixture to a low boil. Once the mixture is boiling, add the can of tomato paste. Stir well.
Add 3/4 cup of red wine–this can be a drinking wine or a cooking wine. Then add your cooked meatballs and let the sauce and meatballs simmer for 1 hour, at least. The more time you allot for the meatballs to simmer before serving, the more tender they will be, and the more infused with the flavor of the sauce.
This sauce can be used in an accompanying baked pasta dish, such as stuffed shells or manicotti. It is also delicious over spaghetti.
As my Nonna used to say: Mangia, mangia!
Castelli Family Meatballs.
January 1, 2014 § 5 Comments
Happy 2014! What a whirlwind week. The holidays went by so quickly, as they always do! I spent nearly a week in Columbus with my family, which was really nice. And…I got engaged! My boyfriend, Ty, proposed to me after we went out to dinner for our 2 year anniversary. He totally surprised me by driving to Sage’s Apple Farm in Chardon, where we met in August 2011. It’s still sinking in, but I am thrilled. eeee!
Now… let’s talk about food. Italian food. Specifically: meatballs!
I have a small series of Italian-centric posts for you over the next week, starting with this staple recipe: Castelli Family Meatballs! This recipe has been in my extended Italian family for a long time. Whenever I have the urge to make this recipe, I usually double it and roll a variety of sizes–large to eat with pasta, small to eat in soup, etc. They freeze really well.
This recipe calls for a 2.5 pound mixture of meat–equal parts ground beef, ground veal, and ground pork. Basically, just shy of a pound of each. I used Italian pork sausage in place of ground pork. It also calls for 1 onion, minced–feel free to substitute a tablespoon or so of dry minced onion if you feel weird about pieces of cooked onion in the meat mixture. It may look weird but I promise you it tastes delicious!
Let’s get started, shall we?
What you need:
- A very large mixing bowl
- 2 and 1/2 pounds of meat mix: equal parts ground beef, veal, and pork (or Italian pork sausage)
- 2 cups of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 4 eggs
- 1 C milk
- 1 C fresh, chopped parsley
- 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
What to do:
Basically? This is all about putting a bunch of ingredients in a bowl and mixing them up! Easy!
Start by adding your ground beef, veal, and pork to the bowl, and mix the meat well, until blended. Then add the minced onions, chopped garlic, grated cheese, chopped parsley, eggs, milk, and bread crumbs!
I added the breadcrumbs last.
Once the meatball mixture is totally ready, it needs to rest for a half hour (or more) in the fridge.
After the meatball mixture has rested, it’s time to shape the meatballs.
Line 1 large or 2 small baking sheets with foil. Spray the foil with Pam or other nonstick baking spray. This really helps prevent the meatballs from sticking to the foil.
Use an ice cream scooper or your hands to roll the balls.
I did a tray of larger balls, and a tray of smaller ones to freeze for soups.
Bake the meatballs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
These are the baked meatballs fresh from the oven. For New Year’s Day dinner, I simmered these meatballs in homemade tomato sauce–my Mom’s recipe! That’s coming up next.
Happy 2014! Let’s eat!
m&m cookies.
December 23, 2013 § Leave a comment
I give you… a homemade cookie.
Simple, right? Umm…not for me.
My mom gave me her old Kitchen Aid mixer a few years ago and for the longest time, I was too intimidated to use it. Just as I consider myself directionally challenged (very much so, eek) I think I also might be baking challenged. Even if I follow a recipe exactly, I always feel like something doesn’t look right, the color is off, maybe they didn’t bake as long as they needed to, perhaps I used too much salt or accidentally added too much flour? And so on and so on. But I’ve finally realized that the only way to become less baking challenged is to…bake more often.
This past Saturday, I spent several hours in the kitchen with my mixer. Flour was all over the place, and I’d used just about every utensil and baking sheet I own. But the kitchen smelled wonderful, and the things coming out of the oven actually looked and tasted pretty good. Maybe they weren’t perfect, but I was pretty happy.
These M&M cookies were the first treat I attempted. I think this is a good “beginner” cookie. Simple but yummy—and festive!
M&M Cookies (recipe from Rachel Cooks)
What you need:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- one bag M&Ms
What to do:
Measure out your ingredients before you begin. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix well, then set aside.
Use a mixer on medium speed to blend the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, until it is creamed and light. This will take several minutes. Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the egg and the vanilla extract. Continue mixing until all ingredients are well blended.
While the mixer continues on low, add your dry ingredients. I added one cup at a time. A dough will gradually form. Turn off the mixer, and stir in the M&Ms with your hands or a spatula. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, minimum.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees! Line 1 large or 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper! Here we go!
Using your hands or a spoon, roll dough into small balls—each ball should be approximately one tablespoon of dough. Line balls on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12 minutes, or until edges have just begun to turn golden. Remove from the oven. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet or on a wire rack.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
simple white bean soup.
December 18, 2013 § 7 Comments
In the midst of all the cookies and boxes of chocolates and holiday parties this month, I give you a soup that is warm and hearty and healthy. This white bean soup is so inexpensive and easy to make that I’ve prepared it three times in the last month. If you’re looking for a healthy, simple dinner recipe, this is for you.
White Bean Soup
Recipe from Shutterbean (with very minor adaptations)
What you need:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
What to do:
Prepare your veggies! Dice your onion and celery, and peel and dice your carrots. Peel and chop that garlic! Now you’re ready to go. Also be sure to drain and rinse your cannellini beans.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the diced onions and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the diced celery and carrot and continue to cook, 10 minutes or until they have softened. Then add the chopped garlic and bay leaf*. Continue to cook for several minutes.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot, as well as your beans and a sprinkling of salt and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat. Once soup comes to a boil, lower the heat and let soup simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour—vegetables should be completely soft.
Remove the bay leaf from the soup, and puree the soup—I used my immersion blender. Stir in lemon juice and add more salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve soup in bowls with some crusty buttered bread.
*Note: The original recipe calls for 4 sage leaves to be added with the garlic and bay leaf—my grocery store was out of sage the first time I made this soup, so I made it without.
This soup manages to be creamy without any cream or butter! So good.
crispy buffalo chicken salad.
December 16, 2013 § Leave a comment
This buffalo chicken salad is going to become part of my regular rotation.
The baked buffalo chicken breasts are simple and delicious, and if you’re not in a salad mood, you could serve them whole as a main dish with potatoes or a vegetable. But I suggest trying the salad first. Super satisfying!
Recipe slightly modified from How Sweet Eats
What you need for the chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons mild buffalo wing sauce
- 1 C panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 C seasoned fine bread crumbs (I used Progresso Italian Style)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ tsp onion powder
What you need for the salad:
- 6-8 cups of butter lettuce, chopped
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 chives, sliced
- 4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
- 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
What you need for the dressing:
- 6 tablespoons ranch dressing (I used low-fat)
- 1 tablespoon creamy blue cheese dressing
- 2 teaspoons mild buffalo wing sauce
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spritz with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut your chicken breasts into small pieces. Trim the fat, if you prefer. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Get two bowls ready! In one bowl, whisk together the eggs and buffalo wing sauce. In a second bowl, mix together the panko bread crumbs, fine bread crumbs, onion powder, and flour. Dredge each piece of chicken first into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumb mixture—use a fork to lightly press the crumbs against the chicken.
Place the pieces of chicken on the foil-lined pan. Spritz with nonstick spray. Bake for 25 minutes.
Chicken ready to go into the oven:
Let’s zoom in here, folks.
While chicken is baking, prepare your dressing! Simple: Just whisk your ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, and buffalo wing sauce together.
Once chicken is ready, you can assemble your salads.
Place several handfuls of lettuce in each bowl. Add your carrots, chives, and green onions. Place 4-5 pieces of chicken on top. Add some crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and bacon pieces, then drizzle with dressing, to your liking. EAT UP PEOPLE!
*This recipe yielded two large salads, enough to feed two very hungry people.
nutella-stuffed rice krispie treats.
December 11, 2013 § 3 Comments
People, people, people. Do I have a treat for you.
NUTELLA STUFFED RICE KRISPIE TREATS!
Yes, I said it. Yes, I love Nutella. Yes, Rice Krispie treats stuffed with Nutella are as awesome as they sound.
These treats are relatively easy to make, requiring just a few ingredients. I whipped a test batch up on Thanksgiving morning and they were a hit! Will definitely be making these again (and again) this holiday season.
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest
What you need:
- 1 C (2 sticks) butter
- 2 (10 ounce) bags mini-marshmallows
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ½ cups Rice Krispies
- 1 and ½ cups Nutella
What to do:
Set out two 9 by 13 inch baking dishes. Lightly grease with PAM or non-stick spray.
In a large, non-stick pot, melt butter over medium heat, until just browned. You will see the butter melt and foam first, then it will start to brown on the bottom. As you see the butter start to brown, turn off the heat and add your marshmallows. Give the mixture a thorough stir to coat the marshmallows, then return the pot to low heat. Continue to stir the marshmallows for 5 minutes, until they are completely melted and smooth. At this point, add your vanilla extract and stir.
Once marshmallows are melted, it’s time to add the Rice Krispies! Make sure the Krispies are completely coated in marshmallows.
Now the fun/messy part.
You will essentially divide the Rice Krispies mixture into 2 parts – 2/3 will go into one 9 by 13 inch pan, and 1/3 will go in another.
Press 2/3 of the mixture into the first pan, gently pushing it down to completely fill the bottom of the pan. Press the other 1/3 into the second pan—it will not fully cover the bottom of the pan. That’s OK!
Now, spread the 1 and ½ cups of Nutella on top of the Rice Krispies in the first pan (which contains 2/3 of the mixture). I used a small spatula to spread the Nutella.
Let both pans sit for 2-3 minutes, just enough time for the smaller amount of Krispies in the second pan to firm. Using your hands, carefully pull the Krispie mixture out of the pan, and lay it over the layer of Nutella in the first pan. Press down!
Let the treats sit for an hour at room temperature before serving. Tip: I used a pizza roller to cut the treats into small squares.
I also advise making these to share – otherwise the temptation to eat them all will overwhelm you.
One last look… I can’t help myself.
baked pasta with Italian sausage, kale, and red pepper.
December 6, 2013 § Leave a comment
I have been excited to share this dish! Say hello to my new favorite recipe:
I first made this recipe at 9pm on a weeknight. That type of spontaneous cooking never really works out too well for me—suddenly I’m exhausted, mid-way through a recipe, and my kitchen is a mess. But, this pasta bake came together really quickly and was delicious! I have re-made it several times since then, and I can already tell it will become a staple recipe in my house. Also, it’s hearty and has a spicy kick, which means it’s definitely boyfriend approved! Leftovers keep well in the fridge up to a week and reheat nicely for lunches at work.
I find I particularly love kale—a super food!—when it’s cooked into a creamy, spicy pasta bake with browned Italian sausage. We have to get our greens in somehow!
Plus this dish is creamy and decadent, without actually involving any cream or much butter. Healthy comfort food is where it’s at.
Note: A key ingredient for this recipe is chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These peppers can be found in the Mexican section of the grocery store, in a small can.
I am a wimp when it comes to spice, but found that the called for two peppers in sauce provided just enough heat without being overwhelming. If you are worried about the spice, use one pepper instead of two. Taste the sauce first and if you want it to be more spicy, add another pepper.
Adapted from Bev Cooks
What you need:
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 bunch of kale, chopped
- 1 box whole grain elbow macaroni (used 13.25 oz. box of Barilla)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 and ½ cups milk (used skim)
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 8 oz. low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
You will want to use your largest skillet for this recipe. Heat the skillet over medium. Add your Italian sausage and cook until browned. Remove sausage from skillet and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Return sausage to skillet and add the diced red pepper and chopped kale. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Kale will begin to wilt. Sprinkle with small amount of sea salt.
While the sausage, kale, and red pepper mix is sautéing, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook per package instructions.
Once pasta is cooked and drained, add the pasta to the sausage, kale, and red pepper mixture. Toss to combine well.
Let the mixture sit on low heat while you prepare your spicy sauce.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Once butter is melted, add the flour. Whisk for several minutes, until the flour is completely worked into the butter. Add the milk and continue to whisk until sauce takes on a creamy consistency—approximately 5 minutes.
Transfer the sauce into a blender. Add one or two chipotle peppers (do not rinse; keep sauce on the peppers) and pulse. Now is the time to taste the sauce and decide whether you want it to be more spicy. If so, add another pepper and continue to blend.
Pour the cream sauce over the pasta, sausage, kale, and red pepper mixture, and toss to combine.
Transfer the pasta mixture into a baking dish. I used a 9 by 13 glass dish. Cover the pasta with the shredded mozzarella.
Bake the pasta for 30 minutes uncovered; cheese should be browning.
Let pasta sit for several minutes before serving.
So, so yummy.
roasted harvest veggie bowls with sweet avocado.
December 2, 2013 § 2 Comments
Folks, I have the cure to your “post-Thanksgiving I ate too much” blues.
These bowls are super filling and super savory–plus you get to eat CHEESE and eat your veggies, too.
Roasted harvest veggies–butternut squash, yams, Brussels sprouts–combine with mashed honeyed avocado, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and bleu cheese.
I made this for the first time a few weeks ago and thought how perfect it’d be for the week after Thanksgiving. So much color! Comfort food, but also good for you food!
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest
What you need:
- 1/2 a butternut squash, peeled, cubed and seeds removed (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 yams, chopped
- 1 to ½ cups raw Brussels sprouts, cut in half, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup crumbled bleu cheese
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 avocados
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Sea salt and black pepper
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Prep your veggies for roasting. Peel and chop your yams into 1-inch cubes. Remove the stems from your Brussels sprouts and slice each sprout in half. Peel your butternut squash, remove the seeds, and chop into 1-inch cubes.
In a small bowl, mix your olive oil, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper. Whisk until blended.
Spread your chopped vegetables out in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil/maple syrup mixture over the vegetables, then toss them to coat.
Roast for 45 minutes – check on them halfway through and turn them over. When there is 15 minutes left of cook time, add your chopped pecans.
While veggies are roasting, make your sweet avocado mash. Peel and scoop out the avocados, and mash in a small bowl. Add your lime juice, honey, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Mix well. Add more honey if you’d like it to be sweeter.
Put a generous spoonful of veggies in a bowl to serve. Add a dollop of sweet avocado, a spoonful of bleu cheese, and a handful of dried cranberries.
I am a steadfast lover of bleu cheese, but if you’re not, you could swap feta or goat cheese and it’d be just as tasty.
This is deceptively addicting. Luckily it’s a pretty healthy food obsession to have.
roasted carrot and parsnip fries with garlic dip.
November 26, 2013 § Leave a comment
I admit, it’s not that rare of an occurrence to find me standing in the kitchen, leaning over a pot on the stove or tray of food fresh from the oven, sampling it (shoveling it into my mouth), exclaiming how amazing it is, as though I’m surprised: “Oh, wow! This is really good! This isn’t bad at all!” Yeah, I’m still surprised sometimes that I can cook.
But I really wasn’t expecting to have such a strong reaction to these parsnip and carrot fries. They took such minimal effort—some peeling and slicing, some drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling of sea salt and cracked black pepper, and a 35 minute nap in the oven. That was it. I daresay they were as satisfying as a true potato French fry. Parsnips are naturally savory and flavorful, and carrots are sweet. They are prime for roasting. My only mistake was not making more—next time, I will definitely make a bigger batch.
I quickly pulled together a garlic dip for…dipping. It’s the perfect accompaniment to these fries.
Side note: Carrots and parsnips come in a variety of sizes—look for ones that are good-sized, not too skinny.
Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries with Garlic Dip
What you need:
- 5-6 carrots
- 5-6 parsnips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 C of low-fat sour cream
- ½ C of reduced fat mayo
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
What to do:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Peel your carrots and parsnips. Then, slice in thin strips—like cutting potatoes into French fries.
Lay out the sliced carrots and parsnips on a non-stick baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Then season with sea salt and black pepper.
Bake the carrot and parsnip fries for 35 minutes, flipping them at least once.
While the fries are baking, make your garlic dip! Peel and mince 2 cloves of garlic. In a small bowl, combine your sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Season to taste with additional sea salt and black pepper.
Serve the roasted carrot and parsnip fries with the dip as an appetizer or a snack. They’d also make a nice side dish for chicken or steak.
French fries that are good for you—I’m all for it!
The Cheesy Kitchen 