Hearty Egg Drop Soup

I've been wanting to try making an egg drop soup for a while, but never got around to it. I've read a few different recipes, including this one and this one, and figured I would cobble together my own version. 

I knew I wanted to add meatballs to mine the way Brianna did in order to make this soup into a hearty meal, so I defrosted a pound of meatballs I had in the freezer. (Sausage meatballs would be amazing in this soup!) We've been eating as healthfully as possible lately, so I also decided to bulk the soup up with spinach. What I ended up with was a garlicky, flavorful, filling soup that really hit the spot on a cool, rainy night.

Hearty Egg Drop Soup

makes six servings

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. canola oil

4 c. chicken stock

2 c. water

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 large eggs, beaten

2 green onions, sliced

1 lb. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 lb. meatballs

1-1.5 tsp. sesame oil (optional)

Heat canola oil in a large stockpot. Add garlic to the pot and saute until slightly softened (but not brown!). Add chicken stock, water, and soy sauce, bring to a boil. 

Stir the soup in a circular motion and slowly stream in the scrambled eggs. (I used a pourable measuring cup)

Step away from the pot and let the eggs cook (unstirred) for one to two minutes. 

Add the spinach and meatballs to the pot and simmer until meatballs are heated through. Add sesame oil to taste, if using. Serve with soy sauce and additional sesame oil.

This is a simple and delicious soup that reminds me of a cross between Italian wedding and egg drop - hey, think I can get away with calling this an Italian-Chinese fusion dish?  ;) 

Throw Together Pasta: Version 3

We do love our pasta around here, and I'm all about putting together meals with food we've already got on hand, even when we have house guests.  My mom and aunt were visiting again, and last time, I made butternut squash risotto.  To please my carb-loving relatives without being repetitive, I opted for a pasta dinner one night.  I had pesto left over from the panini, so I opted to turn it into a sauce.  I needed to use up some random veggies in my fridge, so I paired those with some frozen shrimp and the pesto cream, and TTP #3 was born.


Throw Together Pasta: Version 3
The Farmer's Market Version

1 lb. pasta (I used rigatoni) 
1 bunch spinach, washed and trimmed
1 bunch asparagus, washed
1 lb. shrimp, cleaned and deveined
4-6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. chicken stock
2/3 c. pesto, leftover
1/2 c. fat-free half & half
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Salt the water liberally, then add the pasta and cook al dente (according to package directions).

In the meantime, chop the bacon into 1" pieces.  Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove to a paper towel-covered plate using a slotted spoon.  If you have an excessive amount of bacon grease, pour it out.  I had less than a tablespoon, so I left it in the pan.  Add the olive oil to the skillet.  Once the oil is hot, in goes the diced onion and garlic.  Cook until onion is translucent, being careful not to let the garlic brown.

Chop the asparagus into pieces about 2" long and add to the pan.  Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Cook two minutes, then add shrimp and spinach to the pan and cover.  Once spinach has wilted, stir in cooked pasta.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together pesto and half & half.  Pour over the pasta and toss to coat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with grated cheese - we like asiago!

Prosciutto & Spinach Panini with Pesto & Yogurt Cheese

I love panini!  Somehow, eating meat on bread becomes less of an issue for me when it's pressed, hot, and cheesy.  Also little grammar lesson for you?  Do not try to pluralize it as "paninis".  It is already plural, kind of like "pizelle" or "moose".

These were simple panini - I made pesto, then smeared it on lovely fresh Pugliese bread, topped with prosciutto, fresh spinach, and yogurt cheese.  Delicious!  For any of you who want specifics - it was two pieces of prosciutto, maybe 1/3 cup spinach, two slices (about 1" x 4" x 1/4" thick) of yogurt cheese, and maybe 1/2 tbsp. pesto on each sandwich.

I gave you some pesto advice a while ago, but I thought I'd add a more detailed "recipe".  I put that in quotes because I'm pretty flexible when I make pesto - you never know what it will be like texturally, and you will most likely have to add and subtract quantities in order to get the perfect consistency for your recipe.

My favorite thing about pesto is its versatility.  It works great as a spread on sandwiches, a topping for grilled meat, to brush on kabobs, and of course, as a pasta sauce.  It's nice to make pesto in big batches, then freeze it for later use.  You can use up your summer basil and enjoy it all year round.  At this time of year, if basil is super expensive, you can use part basil and sub other herbs in for the rest of the quantity.  Flat leaf parsley is my go-to substitute, but you can experiment with other mild herbs too.

Pesto!

1 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 c. pignoli (pine nuts) or walnuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
salt & pepper
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until mixture stops moving (mine typically gets stuck to the sides once it's been minced).  Scrape down the sides, then while running the food processor, stream olive oil in through the feed tube.  Stop, scrape down the sides, and taste the pesto.  Depending on its consistency, you may want to add more basil and nuts (to thicken it) or more olive oil (to thin it out).  Remember to season it to taste with salt and pepper.  The pesto I made this time was very thick - I wanted it to spread nicely on sandwiches and not be watery at all.  When I turned it into a pesto cream for pasta later in the week, I thinned it out with milk and a bit of heavy cream.

Store pesto for a couple days in food storage containers as pictured above, or ladle into ice cube trays and freeze.  Store the frozen cubes in a zip-top bag.  Each cube is 2 tablespoons of pesto - the perfect amount for four panini or one bowl of pasta.

Lamb Stew

I love making soups, but Andrew and I were getting tired of all my old standbys.  I hit Google, and before I knew it, decided to make lamb stew.  From there, I decided to seek out a recipe that let me make a savory stew in my slow cooker, and behold, I found one!  I did make some changes, because the recipe on A Crock Cook seemed like it could use some tweaking.  I would definitely recommend the changes I made!

I had a LOT of mashed potatoes left over from a previous meal, and this stew was perfect served over them - so hearty, warm, and satisfying.  Of course, only Andrew ate his that way.  Me, being the Queen of Divided Plates, enjoyed one bowl of buttered mashies and one bowl of lamb stew.  In my defense, it was still delicious!


Lamb Stew
adapted from A Crock Cook

2 lbs. lamb stewing pieces
1/2 c. AP flour
1 tbsp. ground coriander seed
1 tbsp. sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
28 oz. chicken stock
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 c. packed spinach

leftover mashed potatoes, cooked egg noodles, or whatever carb you want to serve your stew over


Flour the lamb pieces.  The smart way to do this would be in a plastic zip-top bag.  The Amy way to do this would be to toss them around on a paper plate with flour on it, eventually knocking the plate and some lamb pieces on the floor and all over yourself.

 

Clean that mess up.  Now, brown the lamb pieces in batches in a little olive oil over medium-high heat.  Remove to a plate as the pieces finish cooking.

In the slow cooker, combine all ingredients except the yogurt and spinach.  Cook on low 8-10 hours.  In the last 30 minutes to an hour of cooking, stir in the yogurt and the spinach.

To serve, spoon warmed mashed potatoes into a bowl.

  

Ladle the lamb stew over the potatoes and serve.

 

This stew is a warm, hearty meal.  Being able to cook it in a crock makes it a super simple choice for weeknight dinners.  It's something a little different than beef stew with carrots or chicken noodle soup.  I adore soups and stews, and I'll continue to seek out new and interesting recipes and share them with you.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pizza

 

I love pizza.  I always have.  But here's the thing:  I don't like sauce on my pizza.  Nowadays, that's no big deal, since there are so many "gourmet" varieties of white pizza out there.  As a kid, it was a nightmare.  I would come home hungry from every childhood birthday party, the roller skating rink, and Girl Scout meetings.  If the pizza wasn't too "saucy", I could pull off the cheese and pepperoni with a fork and eat that.  But it wasn't the same as getting to eat a pizza that I really liked.

Working at a pizza place throughout high school and college, I got to experiment A LOT with various toppings, and came up with some crazy combinations.  (pepperoni, eggplant, and ricotta, anyone?)  I still like to experiment with white pizza toppings, and Andrew is pretty tolerant of that.  When I can't be bothered to make crust, I use whole-wheat Boboli breads.  (I talked about Boboli a while ago)

For this pizza, I make a low-fat Spinach-Artichoke-Chicken dip, then spread it liberally on a whole-wheat crust.  See, I bolded the parts that tell you how good this is for you!

 

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Pizza
 adapted from this dip recipe on Epicurious

2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (I use Neufchatel)
2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 c. fat-free sour cream
1/3 c. low-fat mayo
1/4 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 can marinated artichokes, rinsed and chopped
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (use paper towels in a colander)
1 c. cooked chicken, chopped
2 prepared whole-wheat pizza crusts

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on prepared pizza crust package.  Make sure spinach is as dry as possible so that the juices don't mess with your mixture.

Combine all ingredients (except crust of course!) in a medium-sized bowl.  Spread on the crust, leaving 1-2" perimeter around the edge.  Bake according to directions on pizza crust.  I think mine is typically 10-15 minutes at 400-425 degrees.  Just keep an eye on it to make sure it is heating through and the top is browning (if you want it to!)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

So, World Nutella Day is today, February 5, and in order to assist you in celebrating this illustrious holiday, I present to you a slammin' chocolate cupcake recipe from my friend Samantha (who brought us this and this) and an AMAZING Nutella frosting.  If you've never had Nutella, stop reading this, go to the store, and report back once you've bought some.  I'll wait.

Got it?  Good.  Let's move on.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Start with one box of chocolate cake mix.

Using the measurements on the cake mix box as your guide, make the following changes:

-Replace the oil with melted butter
-Replace the water with chocolate milk
-Add one box instant chocolate pudding.

Line muffin pans with paper liners, fill, and bake according to box directions.  I was able to get 16 large and 12 mini muffins out of this recipe.  When they are finished baking, remove to racks to cool.


In the meantime, prepare your frosting and learn more about World Nutella Day from its creators - here and here.


Nutella Frosting
from The Unrepentant Carbivore

1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. Nutella
5 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. heavy cream

Combine first five ingredients in the bowl of your KA mixer (or use a handheld electric mixer) and beat until ingredients are fully combined and mixture is fluffy.  Add the cream and beat until it is fully incorporated and the batter is "light and smooth".

Frost the cupcakes and immediately bring at least a dozen to the neighbor's house, as I did.  Otherwise, you will end up eating them all, and nobody wants to get sick on World Nutella Day, right?

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Andouille and Spinach

Pictures don't do this soup justice.  Smoky andouille sausage, crisp cauliflower florets, and vibrant fresh spinach combine in this rich, velvety soup that's easy enough to throw together on a weeknight.  The bonus?  It's not half bad for you!

While I was telling my mom about this soup, we got to talking about the origins of andouille.  The recipe says you can also use chorizo, which has Spanish origins, but I was only able to find the andouille.  My firmest recollection was that andouille was a "New Orleans thing" often used in Cajun cooking - gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee.  As it turns out, I was partially right - andouille has French origins and is now most closely associated with Louisiana and Cajun-style cooking.  It's a spiced, heavily-smoked pork sausage, and you can probably find it in your local grocery store. 

I opted to thinly slice the andouille on a diagonal in order to maximize the surface area.  I like a nice char on sausages, especially when they're only one component of a dish.  It's an easy way to build flavor.  What's nice about this recipe is, you get so much flavor from the sausage, onions, and cauliflower, plus the richness from the pureed potato and cauliflower mixture, that you don't need to add any butter or cream to get a creamy, hearty soup.

If you're going to make this recipe and you want to follow Sara Moulton's original, you can click through to the link.  However, I would still suggest that you read through my recipe - dear Sara leaves a few helpful hints out, and I might be able to save you some time (and dishes to wash).

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Andouille and Spinach

adapted from Sara Moulton

2 tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium head cauliflower
1 medium Idaho potato
3 c. chicken broth
3 c. water
1 bunch spinach, rinsed, dried, thinly sliced
salt, pepper, paprika

Peel potato and slice thinly.  Wash cauliflower, then cut off two cups of florets.  Chop the rest of the cauliflower into small pieces.  Set vegetables aside.

In a large stockpot (use a stockpot!  not a "saucepan" as Sara suggests, unless you have one that's at least 3 quarts, in which case, you can use that), so anyway, in the stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and brown, tossing to char it evenly.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.  Add the onions to the oil.  Cook until onions are tender and caramelized.

To the pot, add broth, water, chopped cauliflower (reserve the florets), and potato.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-high heat and simmer for at least five minutes, or until vegetables are extremely tender. 

Transfer to blender in three batches.  I poured one third from the soup pot into the blender, pureed it, then poured into a 4-cup measuring cup.  Then I poured the second third into the blender pureed it, and poured into the measuring cup (which put me way over the 4-cup line but didn't overflow the cup).  I put the last third into the blender, emptied the measuring cup into the pot, then measured the last third and poured that into the pot.  I had about nine cups of pureed soup, due to the extra liquid in my version of the recipe (which, trust me, you'll need).

Stir reserved cauliflower florets into puree and simmer until tender (I did the 4 minutes suggested, which was a bit short, I'd add another couple minutes to that time).  Stir in chorizo and spinach, add salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish bowls of soup with a sprinkling of paprika. 

This is a healthy, hearty soup that will please everyone in your family.  The cauliflower sweetens as it cooks, imparting a mild flavor to the puree.  The color from the ribbons of spinach, the smoky andouille, and the bright paprika make this soup pleasing to the eye as well as the palate.  Add this to next week's meal plan - you won't be disappointed!

+Raw Diet: Day 3-4+

So this was a tough weekend. I attended three cookouts, which meant I had to be on my best behavior around the delicious smells of hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. I also avoided macaroni salad, chips, cheese, birthday cake, cake truffles (that I made!), and my favorite Italian cookies. Not only that, but I also went to the movies and for the first time EVER did not get popcorn, and I went to my favorite restaurant, Brio, as they have opened a location here in CT.

I was SO good all weekend long - my only cheat was a pretty small one, I had coleslaw with very light dressing at my grandma's house today because I was so hungry, and it seemed the least of all evils. For the most part, I have not been hungry. Though I gaze longingly at certain foods, it hasn't been torturous.

Saturday
Breakfast - cubed cantaloupe
Lunch - Brio Restaurant - field greens salad with pine nuts and walnuts (from my purse) with a side of fresh fruit
Afternoon Snack 1 - apple
Afternoon Snack 2 - strawberry honey banana smoothie
Dinner - Kristi's house - quinoa with spinach, 1 raw macaroon

Sunday
Breakfast - blackberries
Lunch - 1-1/2 c. watermelon, coleslaw
Dinner - quinoa with spinach (recipe below)
Evening Snack - tea with honey, apple



Quinoa with Spinach

8 oz. spinach, steamed
1 c. quinoa
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
small piece of onion, grated
1/4 c. raw red pepper, chopped into very small pieces
sea salt

Cook quinoa according to directions on box. To water, add garlic and onion. When quinoa is completely cooked, stir in spinach, red pepper, and sea salt.

This recipe is simple to make and extremely satisfying. I would definitely make this as an entree or side dish. It's colorful and healthy - it would be a great dish to entertain with.

**I've got to apologize for the photos on the blog lately - I've been taking pictures with my phone and posting them, due to lack of camera lately. I'll try to get better pics ASAP!**

Quiche Lorraine & Other Variations

My mom's side of the family holds a Holly Brunch each year, typically the first weekend of December. About 20 years ago, my Nonnie realized that stockings were taking up a huge chunk of time during our Christmas Eve celebration, so she split stocking presents into a different holiday...Holly Brunch! This year, the family held brunch the Saturday after Thanksgiving so that Andrew and I could be there.

My mom and I made quiches for the brunch - two were typical Quiche Lorraine, per Betty Crocker, and two were Quiche Lorraine, but with spinach subbed for the bacon.

You can find Betty's original recipe here. We usually don't mess with Betty's instructions too much, but this time we swapped white cheddar for the recommended swiss, and increased the amount of cheese, onion, and bacon that we used.

For the spinach quiche, we used one pound of fresh spinach, steamed in a couple tablespoons of water in the microwave. Regardless of whether you use fresh or frozen spinach, make sure you squeeze all the water out, or you will have a very soggy quiche!

In order to transport the food to my Nonnie's house, we used our traditional carrying method: the tops of copy-paper boxes my mom brings home from work. Hey, they get the job done!

Quiche is such an easy thing to make, and it's a filling breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. You can put anything you want in it, making it as comforting or gourmet as you like.

Purple Macaroni & Cheese

We went out to dinner with Andrew's dad and stepmom to ML in Chagrin Falls. We absolutely adore the restaurant, and this meal was no exception. Ann and I decided to eat a bunch of appetizers for dinner, which turned out to be a great idea. One of our leftovers was an amazing habanero goat cheese topped with blueberry preserves. Ann insisted I take it home, so I decided I had to figure out a great way to use it.

Here is the goat cheese:

My purple macaroni and cheese was easy to make, and beautiful too! Of course, you could use any cheese you have on hand. Because of the habanero, this mac & cheese was a bit spicy, and yet a bit sweet from the blueberry preserves. It definitely made an interesting combination.

1/2 lb. rotini or pasta of your choice

6 oz. habanero goat cheese

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

1 big handful fresh spinach

nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to directions on box - until slightly al dente.

In the meantime, melt butter in saucepan and add flour. Whisk to combine flour & butter, creating a roux. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in goat cheese a little at a time, melting and whisking to combine. When all goat cheese has been incorporated, allow to come back to a simmer - do not boil.

Add spinach to pasta water, allow to wilt. Drain pasta and spinach and add to sauce. Toss all ingredients to combine. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, if available.

Sausage and Spinach Soup

With fall around the corner, I'm definitely in the mood for soups! I just made the clam chowder last week, so I was hoping for something totally different. My mom actually gave me the idea to put together a sausage and potato soup. She likes to add whatever veggies she has on hand, so that's what I did.

2 small yellow onions, chopped

3 spicy Italian sausages, casings removed

7 small red potatoes, chopped

chicken broth

1 bag fresh pre-washed spinach

I used the scraps left over from a rotisserie chicken to make my own chicken broth. Place everything that's left of your rotisserie chicken into a soup pot, cover with water, and simmer. Mine simmered for maybe five hours over the course of two days, but I'm sure you could do less.

In a soup pot, saute the onions in a small amount of olive oil. Salt them right away so that they release their juices and soften, rather than browning. Move the onions off to the sides of the pot and add the sausage to the pot. Cook it through.

I found that my sausage was a little more fatty than I planned on. I dealt with it by continuing on making the soup the way I planned - when it was simmering later, I simply skimmed the fat off the top. Next time, I might have cooked the sausage first, drained it, and added it back to the pan at this step.

Add the potatoes to the pot. Stir to coat the potatoes in the oil, onions, etc. Pour the chicken broth into the pot and bring contents to a boil.

Simmer on your stove until the potatoes are fork tender. I garnished mine with green onions and fresh basil. Simple and delicious!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Risotto

I love risotto, but Andrew is not a fan. An evening when he is out fishing is the perfect time for me to eat whatever I want, and tonight, I was in the mood for risotto! People think it takes a lot of work, effort, or skill, but this couldn't be any further from the truth. Of course, you can tweak my recipe to include whatever vegetables, herbs, cheeses, or other flavors you can think of.

You'll need:

1 cup arborio rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 small yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2-4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled



In a medium sized saucepan, saute garlic in about 1 tbsp olive oil until it begins to soften. Add the onion. Salt the contents of the pot lightly and cook until onions are translucent. You do not want to brown the onions or the garlic. In a separate, small saucepan, heat the chicken broth. You just want to warm it - you do not need it to boil or even simmer.

Add the rice to the pot and stir to combine. Toast the rice for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a 1/4 of the broth to the rice mixture. Allow the rice to absorb all the liquid, stirring occasionally, before adding more liquid. Continue to add liquid, allowing the rice to absorb it each time.



When you have added all the liquid to the rice, stir in the spinach. I did not use the entire box, more like 3/4.

Finally, add the goat cheese and stir to melt it into the risotto. The goat cheese I had on hand was purchased at the West Side Market down in Cleveland. It was a spectacular chevre goat's milk cheese...and I'm not gonna lie, I definitely ate some off my fingers!


This recipe takes 15-20 minutes from start to finish. If you wanted to stir in cooked chicken, that would be good too! I preferred it this way, but chicken, sausage, bacon, etc. would all be nice add-ins.

Risotto is so simple and delicious. Once you start making it, you will be amazed at the combinations that pop into your head - butternut squash and pancetta, poached pears and carmelized onions, and any other delicious flavor melds you can come up with.