Lasagna Soup

Pinterest strikes again!  I saw this and it looked interesting.  I must admit, I was skeptical.  Could a soup really taste like lasagna?  This soup is outstanding!  It truly is like lasagna in soup form.  The cheesy goodness in the bottom makes it.  Really, you only need a dollop, and maybe an ounce of cheese.  A little goes a long way!  It was described as an Italian version of chicken tortilla soup, and that is a very good description really.  The cheese melts and even with just a little in my bowl, I had cheese in every bite. Y-U-M!!!

I wanted to use sweet Italian sausage, but all they had at the store was hot.  It was just the right amount of heat for me.  If you or your family have a sensitive palette, you could substitute mild or sweet sausage and control the heat by adding red pepper flakes, which is in the original recipe anyway.  I omitted the red pepper flakes because I had hot sausage.

This soup was really quick to throw together.  I cut the onion while the sausage cooked, got the garlic ready while the onion softened, opened the cans while the garlic cooked, etc.  Make sure to have some good bread to go along with it.  We really love this soup!  I will definitely be making it again!


LASAGNA SOUP
slightly adapted from:  afarmgirlsdabbles.com

for the soup:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Hot Italian turkey sausage
• 2 large sweet onions, chopped
• 6-7 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 oz.(1/2 small can) tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock (1 1/2 boxes)
• 8 oz. mafalda, campanelle or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:

• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (I used fresh grated)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Chicken Salsa Bake

This may be the easiest meal I have ever made, but it is delicious!  I had to share because it is so simple and I know we all have nights where we scream for simple, quick, easy and delicious. You know, the nights where the husband calls and says he is going to be late, you have a pounding headache, and the 2 year old has himself intertwined in your legs saying, "Hold me!!!".  Oh wait, that's my night.  But I am sure you have yours! For even easier, keep some of the Uncle Ben's ready to eat rice in your pantry.  Pop in the microwave for 90 seconds and done.  Brace yourself for good food, and oh so easy! 

CHICKEN SALSA BAKE

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 chicken breasts, halved in thickness
• 1 1/2-2 cups salsa (I use store bought "fresh")
• 1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheddar or mexican cheese
• rice

 


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Place chicken in baking dish.  Top generously with salsa.  Bake for 20 minutes.   while baking prepare rice.  Remove from oven and top with cheese.  Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted and begins to brown.  Serve over rice.  Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro, if desired.

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

I love blueberries and I adore blueberry muffins.  This has been my go to blueberry muffin recipe for awhile because it produces a light delicious blueberry muffin without all the guilt.  It is moist and is very tender.  I have lots of other recipes to try that call for a stick of butter and or lots of oil, but I can't bring myself to make them, because I love these muffins and I love that I can have 2 of these, and not feel guilty about it! I also love the citrus note the lemon zest bring to these muffins.  Blueberries and lemon go fantastic together.  

This is a great muffin, so I hope you try them!


BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• 1- 4 oz. container of unsweetened applesauce *see directions
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 pinches of salt (about 1/2 tsp)
• 1 1/2-2 cups of blueberries

STREUSEL:

• 3 1/2 TBSP cold butter
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• 1/3 flour

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  *Line a small colander with paper towels or use a mesh one and put applesauce in it.  Let drain for 15 minutes with a bowl under it to get rid of some of the moisture (this will ensure it will bring moisture and not wetness to muffins).  Wash and drain blueberries.  Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a small bowl mix streusel ingredients until the butter bits are about the size of peas.  I use my fingers for this. Set aside.
Whisk together sugar and lemon zest.  Add greek yogurt, vanilla, lemon juice, applesauce and oil.  After it drains, I dump the applesauce in a 1/2 cup measuring cup, and fill it the rest of the way with oil.  Whisk to combine well. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Toss 1 TBSP of this with the blueberries.  Add the dry ingredients to wet and mix 10 times around the bowl.  Add all but 1/2 cup of the blueberries and mix just enough to incorporate the flour and blueberries.  Batter will be lumpy.  Do not overmix!


Fill about 18 muffin cups about 2/3-3/4 full.  Place 3-4 blueberries in the tops of each, pushing down with fingers a bit.  Sprinkle with streusel topping.  Place in oven, turn heat up to 400 and bake 18-22 minutes.  If using silicone, they tend to take a longer than the metal tins.  Serve warm.  Makes about 18, and will keep 2-3 days in an airtight container-- if they last that long.

Potato Skins

I didn't have any green onions.

There is a restaurant in North Syracuse named Zebb's that I adored as a kid.  They served vanilla or cherry coke and awesome salads.  I also loved their potato skins and would order them as a meal.  I have not had them in years and suddenly, I had to have them.  Must've been some female hormonal thing.  But, I don't live anywhere near central New York.  So, what's a girl to do?  Make them, of course!

So glad I did.  So. . .Good.  Everyone in my family devoured them.  The salty skins and cool sour cream, and melted cheese,  there is not much better.  When I scooped out the insides, I had grand intentions of using the insides for baked potato soup, but my husband fed it to the boys for dinner the next night while I was out for a bit.  Oh well...  Anyway, these are so worth the time! Enjoy!

POTATO SKINS

simplyrecipes

INGREDIENTS:

• 10-12 small to medium sized russet baking potatoes
• Olive oil
• Canola oil or grapeseed oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 12 strips of bacon
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream or greek plain yogurt
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the greens of the onions

DIRECTIONS:

Scrub the potatoes clean, pierce the skin with a fork a few times and then rub with olive oil.  Bake in a 400°F oven for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through and give a little when pressed.

While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan on medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool. Crumble.  I use turkey bacon and cook it in the microwave on a paper towel lined paper plate until it is very crisp, then crumble.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides, reserving the scooped potatoes for another use, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.

Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F. Brush or rub grapeseed oil or canola oil (or another high smoke point oil) all over the potato skins, outside and in. Sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking rack in a roasting pan (don't use a cookie sheet, it will warp, use a roasting pan or broiler pan that can take the heat). Cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.

Arrange the potato skins skin-side down on the roasting pan or rack. Sprinkle the insides with freshly ground black pepper, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Return to the oven. Broil for an additional 2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven. Use tongs to place skins on a serving plate. Add a dollop of sour cream to each skin, sprinkle with green onions.

Serve immediately. Serves 6. (We ate them cold too!)

Cherry Almond Cake

This cake is a sure hit.  It is absolutely delicious!  My mom got the recipe from a long time friend and gave me the recipe.  She and I both have always gotten rave reviews!  The almond flavor mixed with the fruit filling is so good.  I have had it for breakfast with coffee too.
A few notes on it.  It does not do well in a stone pan.  It doesn't cook evenly or something.  It really needs a metal pan to be evenly cooked.  Also, don't overbake, because the outside pieces get dry.  I did it in my pampered chef baker the first time I made it and undercooked it a little and I had brought it to a potluck.  I was mortified that it wasn't cooked through and cake-like all the way through.  I got tons of compliments and people telling me they loved my "cobbler."  So, no worries if it is a little soft when you cut into it.  Also, it keeps great for several days!

CHERRY ALMOND CAKE
recipe from: Theresa Jackson

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 can cherry pie filling (I buy the extra cherry variety)

For glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 TBSP milk
• 1 tsp almond extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a metal 9x13 pan.  Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract and eggs for 3 minutes.  Whisk together flour and baking powder.  Add to butter mixture and mix until incorporated.  Pour 2/3 of cake batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon cherry pie filling over the batter evenly.  Spoon remaining batter over the cherry pie filling.  Bake for 40-45 minutes (I do 45).  Let cool for at least 30 minutes before drizzling with glaze.  For the glaze, add enough milk so it drizzles off the spoon but not so much it is watery.  You want it a bit thick.  Drizzle over cake.

Chicken Sweet Potato Stew

I am so behind in my blogging.  I haven't stopped cooking/baking, but have been so busy from our travels, and Christmas and kids, that I just haven't gotten to it.  I am trying to get my house back in order from undecorating from Christmas, and we just had our family Christmas on the 7th because of our travels.  So, now I need to get back onto food!
This dish was so hearty and delicious, not to mentioned filled our home with an amazing fragrance.  It was cozy, filling, and even figure friendly.  And easy!  I did it all in my dutch oven (stove to oven), and my rice cooker.  My husband was raving about it and in my daughters words, "It doesn't look very good, but it sure smells good and tasted good!"  I personally loved all the color.  The sweet potatoes break down some and flavor the broth/gravy making it slightly sweet and thick.  And the chicken is so tender!  We served it over brown jasmine rice.  Will definitely be making this one again!

CHICKEN SWEET POTATO STEW
adapted from: http://allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 med-large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, diced (I used baby, about 1.5 cups)
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - diced
• salt and pepper
• 2-3 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stock (I used broth)
•  3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dry
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or light cream (I skipped to make it lighter)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until just starting to turn golden. Mix in the sweet potatoes and carrot; cook and stir for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Move the vegetables to the sides of the pan, or to one side to make a clear area for the chicken. Add the chicken; season with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp salt) cook and stir until seared on all sides. Scatter the flour over the top, and stir it in. Gradually stir in the chicken stock, mixing carefully so that no flour lumps form. Scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan while you do this. Add sprigs of fresh thyme and the wine, and mix through. Transfer to a casserole dish, and cover with a lid.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven, remove sticks from thyme and let it cool just a little before stirring in the cream (or else it may curdle). I skipped the cream.  Serve over rice.

Oreo Truffles

 I had these a few years ago for the first time.  My favorite are dipped in white chocolate (even though I am not a huge white chocolate fan) topped with peppermint pieces.  The combination had me craving them!  These are so simple and so yummy.  I saw a recipe that used nutella in place of some of the cream cheese, which I will be trying at some point!  Anyway, these are awesome and easy! 


OREO TRUFFLES

• 1 package Double Stuffed Oreos  
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened (you can use up to 8 oz., based on consistency you like better)
• Dipping chocolate (or 1 cup choc. chip with a few tsp shortening)

Chop Oreos up finely in a food processor.  Save some of the finely crushed Oreos for garnish later and set it aside.  You don't need too much.

With hands (or a spoon, I just think hands are faster), mash softened cream cheese and crushed Oreos until well combined.

Roll into 1" balls and place on a wax covered cookie sheet. Put in freezer for 15 minutes.

While balls are in freezer, melt chocolate according to directions.

Pull the Oreo Truffles out of freezer, and dip into chocolate.  Garnish with reserved Oreo crumbs or crushed peppermint candy, before the chocolate sets up.

Let chocolate set, refrigerate and enjoy!