Pasta e Fagioli

  

It has snowed and snowed, and then snowed some more over the last month. When it gets cold there is nothing that warms me better than a hearty soup or stew. I came across this recipe in Martha's Everyday Food magazine. I had been saving it for some time, and what a perfect opportunity to make it! Most ingredients I have on hand all the time, and it makes enough for leftover for a day or two. Hot, flavorful, and hearty - perfect for curling up on the couch with a movie or in front of the fire!

Pasta e Fagioli

serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 celery stalks, small dice

2 carrots, small dice

1 small sweet yellow onion, small dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 15.5 oz can canellini beans, drained

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 Parmesan rind (optional) 

1 Cup small uncooked pasta, I used ditalini

1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a medium heavy pot, like a dutch oven or pasta pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flake. Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add oregano, tomatoes, broth, and Parmesan rind (if using). Increase heat to medium high and simmer until liquid thickens, about 5 minutes. Add pasta, partially cover pot, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is done. Add in beans until heated through. To serve remove cheese rind, serve with grated cheese. 

Shrimp Corn Chowder

Is the winter's storms getting you down? Need something warm to cuddle up with while you celebrate not having to work? I have just the winter dinner for you to try! Its easy to make (always good when you want to couch it on your day off) and inexpensive! While I would usually freeze soups that yield this amount, this one doesn't freeze well, so make sure you are in the mood for several corn chowder lunches!

Shrimp Corn Chowder
makes 8 servings


Ingredients
1/2 sweet yellow onion, small dice
1 large or two small Idaho potatoes, 1 inch dice
2 cans no-salt-added creamed corn
1 Cup milk (do not use skim, but any other percentage will work)
2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp fresh or 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley
4-5 raw shrimp per serving 


Place onions and potatoes in a pan and just cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove lid and salt, cooking about 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Add both cans of creamed corn and heat through. Add the milk and butter and heat again, do not let this boil. Once the chowder is hot through taste and adjust your seasoning. 


Because there are only two people in my house hold I will not add the shrimp to the whole batch of chowder, I will cook it in individual servings. Peel the shrimp and rough chop them into 1/2 inch pieces. While chowder is hot and ready to serve stir in the amount needed for servings and let cook about 3 minutes, til opaque and pink. Garnish with parsley. 

You always want large pieces of lettuce for a Caesar salad

I served this up tonight with a big Caesar salad. My quick trick for croutons is to use up any crackers or left over bread you have hanging around. I used a focaccia cracker broken into smaller pieces. If you want to make your own croutons toast cubes of day old bread sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic. I have not attempted my own dressing, maybe later this year!

Weekly Budget Update!

This weekend I spent $64 at Stop & Shop. We are recovering from the holidays which means fresh food - loads of fruits and veggies!  I also spent $8 on fresh pasta from a little Italian deli, so excited to eat it! Under budget with $8 to spare!




Major Purchases: Chicken breasts, fresh basil, and bundles of fresh fruit!

Good Deals: Pineapples were on sale this week for $2 each! Also got some individual serving guacamole snack packs to keep on hand. Not a huge savings, but they don't turn brown and mushy as quickly!

Meal Planning:
Egg Nog French Toast with Fruit Salad
Fusilli with Pink Vodka Sauce and Grilled Chicken
Pork Tenderloin, Potatoes, Veg
Mushroom Fritatta with Mixed Green Salad
Individual Pizzas with Soup

This menu should get us back on track and recovered from the holidays! The leftover will also serve as great lunches for my husband and me.

Welcome to the Hectic Holidays!

Boy has it been busy in this house the last week! And it doesn't look like its going to slow down anytime soon. We have been eating at friends and families the last week. Not too much cooking at home, but have still been eating well and delicious. When we are home its been very light, quick soups or salads to balance the heavy food we are getting elsewhere, and is this an easy, lazy soup! 

Very Quick Tortellini Soup

1 cup beef broth
2 cups chicken stock
garlic powder
onion powder
1 pkg frozen cheese tortellini
fresh parsley
grated Parmesan

Bring stock and broth to a boil, add one pinch each powder. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. Finish with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Next time I make this I am going to saute some onion slices to add to the soup, and possibly some frozen spinach.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

 Whole Wheat Pizza
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 packets yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp honey or sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups AP flour
2 cups whole wheat flour

Combine water and yeast, let sit for approximately 5 minutes until foamy. Oil large bowl, set aside. Mix yeast mixture, honey, oil and salt. Stir in flours with wooden spoon until sticky. Transfer to oiled bowl, brush oil over the top of dough and cover with a dry dish towel. Let rise 1 hour. Punch dough down and divide into 8 pieces. Work each piece into a 5 inch circle. Place on a corn meal dusted sheet pan and place in freezer over night. To store layer pizza dough and parchment paper in a ziplock bag. Keeps for 3 months. You can also make two larger pizzas from this. I like to do the individual size for easy weeknight dinners or lunches.

Pizza Party at my Place!!

My Easy Pizza Sauce
1 8oz can unsalted tomato sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp each onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and dried parsley

Mix together. This freezes extremely well. The individual pizzas use about 1 tablespoon of sauce.
red pepper flake to taste

To bake, preheat oven to 450°. If you are using a pizza stone leave in the oven while preheating. Do not take pizza crust out of the freezer until you are ready to bake, it will defrost and get messy. Get your toppings ready, I like to use sauteed mushrooms, pepperoni, peppers, chicken, pesto, cheddar, mozzarella, whatever you have on hand is going to be good on the pizza! Once oven is preheated bake on a pizza stone of sheet pan for 15 minutes. The crust will be golden brown and delicious!

This was our dinner tonight, and we have 6 crusts left in the freezer along with at least 4 more soup servings! Talk about time savings, and money savings!

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup

Bah, November...I have not seen the sun in almost 5 days. It is cold and cloudy, and I am cranky! The best remedy for this is a pot of homemade soup and bad movies on the couch! This is one of my new favorite recipes! Its plentiful, easy to make, and CHEAP! Thanks to The Kitchn for posting it last year!

Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup
1 head garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 cups chicken stock
1 large white potato, peeled and diced
1 inch cube Parmesan or small piece of Parmesan rind
1 cup milk (2% or whole is best)

Heat the oven to 400°F. Slice the top off your garlic and place on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, and wrap foil up around it. Roast for 40 minutes, or until the cloves are very soft. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Before Roasting...

Delicious Goodness!

Melt the butter in the bottom of a saucepan. Add onion and thyme to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the stock and potato. Squeeze half the garlic cloves out of their skins and into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until potato is very soft. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup or use a regular blender. Return to heat and stir in the milk. Cook until just heated through. Taste and season with additional garlic or salt as desired. This serves 4-6 depending on bowl size.

And now, I am on the couch not feeling so grumpy, thanks soup and pizza!

Feeling under the weather or just need to warm up?

An easy to make chicken soup! We call this one the "Get Well Sooner Soup" around here!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

2 Carrots, medium dice

2 Stalks Celery, medium dice

1/2 Yellow Onion, small dice

2 cloves Garlic, minced

Pinch Red pepper flake

1/4 tsp Oregano

2 quarts chicken stock

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can cannelini beans, drained

2 cups chopped roast chicken

1 cup small cooked pasta of your choice

salt and pepper

Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Add onion and celery, cook for 5 minutes then add garlic and red pepper flake. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. When broth starts to simmer add corn, beans, and chicken. Heat through until hot. When ready to serve add pasta. If you are making this to freeze do not add pasta, it soaks up too much of the stock. Add salt and pepper to taste! Serve with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

If you are feeling under the weather I will sometimes add more garlic and red pepper flake! Always makes me feel better! And if you know someone feeling ill, cheer them up with some of this and send along a free package of Get Well Kleenex!

Lentil Soup with Kielbasa

Started off the week on a high note! Lazy afternoon led me to make Ina's Lentil Soup with Kielbasa (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lentil-sausage-soup-recipe/index.html)!

Ingredients: Lentils (I used brown, but green are good too!), Onion, Garlic, Leeks, Thyme, Cumin, Carrots, Celery, Chicken Stock, and Kielbasa.

This was so filling! Served it with some rye bread toast and shaved Parmesan cheese on top! I cut the recipe in half and look how much we have left over! 6 more servings, maybe I will find a friend to take some! I now have half a pound of kielbasa in the freezer that can be used until January! Who thinks an apples and onion sausage dinner on cold winter night is in Eric's future? Other leftovers from this recipe are two leeks, be interesting to see what I can do with those besides potato and leek soup!