Author Archives: cookingwithcandi

Winter Veggie Soup with Barley and Turkey Sausage (optional)

Posted on December 26, 2015 | 1 comment

photo 1 (29)photo 3 (17)photo 5 (14)It’s beginning to feel a lot like Winter here in the Northeast and what better way to warm up then with a bowl of heartwarming soup?? I went totally crazy with the vegetables and I cut up everything that was in my fridge and what I bought in the supermarket. I realize that this is a lot of vegetables and a lot of cleaning and chopping but so worthwhile. I added spicy turkey sausage but if you would like you can keep this totally vegetarian, and vegan if you leave out the cheese rinds. The magic ingredient in this soup is the “cheese rind” it adds another dimension to this soup for sure. I just cut off the end (rind) of theParmesan cheese hunk of cheese! Amazing flavor!!!!

I used vegetable broth because I had it, you can use chicken broth as well.

This is what I did.

Don’t be put off by the shopping list and the chopping. You, your family and friends will be forever grateful.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 sweet or spicy turkey sausages ( large ones) or omit completely

1 cup pearled barley

8 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into app. 1/2″ thick rounds, cut however you like, I just like to taste a piece of carrot in my soup

2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/2″ thick rounds as well

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices , leave the skin on

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced ( don’t omit this , it adds amazing flavor)

1 medium leek, thinly sliced and washed well

One bunch of Swiss Chard, remove the center stem and chop leaves

1 Parmesan Cheese rind, optional

1 dried bay leaf

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped chives , I didn’t have fresh which I recommend but I used dried, it’s really OK if you omit , just adds one more layer of flavor to the soup.

Directions:

In a large stockpot ( Le Creuset), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon into small pieces, I like to brown the sausage, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the barley and stir constantly until it is lightly browned, app. 3 – 4 minutes. Add the broth, carrots, parsnips, zucchini, fennel, leeks, chard , bay leaf and cheese rind. About 1 teaspoon kosher salt and about 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. You will taste for salt and pepper again at the end. Bring the whole thing to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered until the barley is tender . I cooked for about an hour.

Remove the rind and bay leaf and discard after the first hour. Season the soup with remaining S & P if desired. You may also want to add a little liquid if it’s too thick, you can add more broth or just some water will work as well.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cooked sausage and chopped chives.

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DELISH BOLOGNESE (REAL DEAL)

Posted on December 24, 2015 | 2 comments

Forget engagement chicken. This is the dish to make if you’re really interested in getting engaged!  I know there is a whole lotta hoopla out there about making a roast chicken and getting an engagment ring out of the meal but I will tell you that this should really be called “The Engagement Bolognese Sauce” because it is that good; and everyone who eats it falls in love with it. Well…almost. You just have to be a meat lover and a pasta lover. Then, surely, this will work. Try it and let me know. What have you got to lose? This is my perfect Sunday night dinner. It’s pure comfort food. So, even if you’re not looking to get engaged, are already married, or just want a wonderful meat sauce to make…Serve with a green salad with my vinaigrette dressing, a nice crusty bread and you’re set. You can always make my chocolate cherry cookies as an add on bonus. Have a great meal!

(Original inspiration from Mario Batali)

Delish bolognese 

Ingredients: 

1/4 CUP OLIVE OIL

1 MEDIUM SIZE CARROT DICED

1 MEDIUM CELERY RIB DICED

1 MEDIUM ONION DICED (SPANISH ONION)

1 GARLIC CLOVE, THINLY SLICED

4 OZ. PANCETTA,  DICED (I USUALLY CAN FIND A 4 OZ. PKG. IN THE SUPERMARKET ALREADY DICED AND IT WORKS JUST FINE.)

1 LB. GROUND BEEF (NOT THE SUPER LEAN ONE, THE 85/15 IS BEST FOR THIS B/C YOU WANT THE FAT)

1/4 CUP TOMATO PASTE (Why I love the tubes of tomato paste)

1 cup milk  (not skim, whole or at least 2 percent)

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

red pepper flakes

fresh parmagiano or pecorino cheese, grated

1 box (1 pound)  gemelli  or fusilli type pasta

I use my Le Creuset large cast iron casserole.

Heat the olive oil on a medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Continue to cook this stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned (you may need to lower heat). Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the pancetta to pot and crisp it up a bit, then add the ground beef breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until the beef is no longer pink; about 10 minutes . Add the tomato paste and stir it in over a low heat. It will get a shiny look to it, and a deep rust color. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the milk, white wine and water and simmer over a low heat, stirring sauce occasionally. It will get thick and saucy looking. I cook it for another 1 1/2 hours. Taste for salt and pepper here.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook 1 box of pasta according to directions on box, until al dente. Drain pasta and add it to the sauce. Stir well and coat pasta.  Serve in nice pasta bowls, along with fresh cheese. I add a few red pepper flakes but I like it hot. You can leave that on the table along with grated cheese for your guests.

Note: You can make sauce ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days. I have frozen it as well.

This is super yummy, and I believe this is the go to engagement dish.

*serves 8 as a small side dish and 4 as a meal

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P B and J Bars (Peanut Butter and Jelly) Real Comfort Food

Posted on December 22, 2015 | Leave a comment

p b and j bars

These bars definitely fall into the decadent category. They are super rich, super dense and super delicious. You kind of have to be a PB&J type to really like these and since I am, I love them. This is the time of year for baking and some real comfort food baking seems to happen around the Holidays.

The trick to this recipe is to let it cool completely before even attempting to cut them. Actually, this time I put in refrigerator for a few hours, used a knife with a cup of water to cut. I cut them into very small pieces because they are so rich. Pour a glass of milk, sit down with a small piece and enjoy! The original recipe comes from Ina Garten and I’ve made a few small, personal changes. This time out I omitted the chopped peanuts on top, wanted to make it without , and they were perfect. The extra added peanuts add some crunch, but not totally necessary . I think we could all use a little of this good old fashioned comfort food now and again.

INGREDIENTS:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs, room temperature

2 cups (18oz.) creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy reduced fat)

1 1/2 cups (18 oz.) raspberry jam (or any other flavor you like) this time I tried seedless raspberry jam which worked out so well ( Smuckers or Bonne Maman are 2 of my favorites)  but any one will do. Use flavor you like.

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

*2/3 cups chopped salted peanuts ( coarsely chopped) (I omitted this time out ) as you can see by pictures.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9×13 inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan. (You can also spray with baking spray. I like to use a little butter on parchment paper.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow (a few minutes). Switch the mixer to low-speed and add eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix well.

In a small bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low-speed, add the flour mixture (dry ingredients) slowly into the peanut butter mixture, until well combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam (use a spoon and don’t worry if the jam isn’t completely covered). Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 40-45 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares.

*yields about 24 bars but I can usually get about 30 but cutting them small

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Pasta e Fagioli ( Pasta and Bean Soup)

Posted on December 19, 2015 | 2 comments

Me and My Grandson Brody/ from visit with the family

019I have been making this soup forever,  This is really just a tomato base soup with beans and pasta. How bad can that be? unless you hate beans and pasta that is. I usually have ingredients in the pantry and it is a wonderful warm experience, with a nice salad this is a perfect meal. I do use dried beans so I need to soak overnight, if you want to cheat you can just use canned beans. It is a wonderful hearty soup halfway between a soup and a pasta.

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes ( San Marzano)

10 – 12 fresh basil leaves

red pepper flakes

handful of italian parsley, chopped

5 – 6 cups cooked beans and their liquid ( I use cannellini beans usually) any type of bean will work I use Cannellini or Red Kidney beans and a combination of both is beautiful.* feel free to use canned if you don’t have time to cook the beans. ( 2 cans rinsed and drained) the canned beans work out perfectly and it’s a very quick and easy way to go.

5 cups water

app. 1 cup pasta, elbows, tubetti, ditalini, or broken spaghetti

salt and freshly ground black pepper ( I probably used about 1Tablespoon of Kosher Salt but you’ll have to taste for yourself , start with a Tablespoon and use more as needed) Pepper I just add in a few grinds of the pepper mill ( about 12) and taste , taste , taste!

Directions:

In a large , heavy stockpot ( Le Creuset) saute onion in olive oil. When onion is golden and transparent, add garlic. Cook for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes and herbs. Cook until the tomatoes begin to thicken and reduce, about 10 minutes.  Taste for salt.

Add the beans and their cooking liquid. (* see notes on cooking beans) Add the water. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes – until the beans begin to break down and the soup begins to thicken. Lower heat to a slow simmer, as low as you can.  Stir frequently to prevent it from sticking and burning bottom of the pot. Taste for salt and pepper again.  I always like it to simmer for a long time, an hour would probably do it, but if I have the time I let it sit for as long as I can.  Sometimes after it’s been simmering for a while ,  I turn off the heat and right before serving just bring to a boil and add pasta. Just be careful not to let it burn, stir frequently . If you need more liquid add water a little at a time, I showed a picture of my pot filler which is the greatest thing to have in a kitchen, makes it super easy to fill a pot.

When you’re ready to serve, right before add the pasta and cook until pasta is al dente, about 5 – 10 minutes depending on type of pasta you’re using. I used ditalini.

Serve immediately in large soup bowls.

Guests can drizzle some good olive oil and grate some Parmesan Cheese over.  Should serve 8 – 10 depending on appetites. I froze remainder for another time.

*Cooking dried Beans:

Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water – about 2″ – 3″ above the beans. Soak overnight.

Rinse and drain the beans, remove any stones, foreign matter, or beans that have not expanded.

Place the beans in a heavy pot and cover with water – about 2″ above the beans.

Bring the beans to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and cook at a very low simmer. Do not allow beans to boil hard. The beans should retain their shape. Cook until beans are tender. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of beans and how fresh they are. Plan on cooking for 2 to 3 hours.

The beans will now be ready to be used for any recipe calling for cooked beans.

If you don’t have time to soak or you just forgot, you can place beans in the pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, cover and let stand for 1 hour, and then proceed with the rest of the directions.

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Chicken and Rigatoni in One Pot–One Pot Pasta

Posted on December 17, 2015 | Leave a comment

photo 2 photo 3 photo 4 (2) photo 5 (2) photo photo 2 (2) photo 1I must say that the first time I saw this recipe for one-pot pasta I was hesitant. I read up on it and found out that the actual recipe for this one-pot pasta hailed from Puglia. So for all of those “haters” out there I am just saying that I did do my homework here and found out that yes they do this in Italy and original recipe was from there. OK that’s enough of that. It doesn’t really matter where it’s from now does it? I have made 2 versions of this type of pasta and all I can say is yum. I will also add that you need to be a little bit more attentive during the cooking but the result was fabulous. We loved the creaminess and the pasta came out perfectly al dente.  You just don’t want to overcook it, taste for doneness and sit down and eat. It was delicious the next day cold out of fridge as well. Give this one a try you won’t be sorry. Joel was very happy with the clean-up detail as well because it was one pot! Whole thing took under an hour from start to finish. One pan, people!!! dry noodles, sauce ingredients, water, wine a few good things and you’ve got a delicious impressive dinner.

*I used my large Le Creuset pot. A large skillet would work fine here as well.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

app. 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken breast, cut into small chunks. Just buy a regular package of chicken breasts and cut them up as I did ( see photos)

2 large roasted red peppers, sliced into thin slices ( straight out of the jar) see photos

6 cherry peppers, chopped and de-seeded , you can use hot if you like it spicy or just mild cherry peppers which is what I used (straight out of the jar) see photos

1 cup water, you will probably add about 1/2 cup more but you should start out with a cup

1 lb. rigatoni, I like the way the rigatoni works of course penne or another type of macaroni will work just fine

1 cup white wine, use what you have open as long as it’s not a sweet wine

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated, more for serving

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh basil torn, you’ll want to add a little more at the end of cooking as well.

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Crushed red pepper flakes, optional. If you like the heat add a little bit during cooking and you can always add more at end. 1/4 teaspoon to start is good.

Directions:

In a large skillet type of pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the garlic and chicken . Saute the chicken until it is just browned on the outside but not cooked through.

Stir in the roasted red peppers and cherry peppers, and sauté for another minute or so. Add in the crushed tomatoes and wine. Add in the water and the raw pasta and bring to a low boil. If you need more water you’ll know at this point , add a bit more water (a little at a time) Continue to cook, stirring very often, until the pasta has cooked to al dente , it will take anywhere from 15- 20 minutes. Taste pasta and judge how much longer it needs.

When pasta is done to your liking, reduce heat to low and add in the butter, basil and salt. When the butter is completely melted into the past, add in the cream and the cheese. Let simmer on low for another ten minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Top with additional cheese, basil and red pepper flakes if you like.

Serve warm.

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Cranberry Walnut Stuffing–Perfect for Holidays

Posted on December 15, 2015 | Leave a comment

IMG_9947 IMG_9949 IMG_9963I love watching the Food Network and there are so very many cooking shows on at any given moment. I happened to catch Valerie Bertinelli’s new show “Valerie’s Home Cooking” and she was making this stuffing and it looked so easy and I am always on the look out for new recipes. I was having the family over for Sunday dinner and was making a turkey roast complete with cranberry, gravy and of course stuffing. I tried it and it was delicious and while I love my stuffing that I always make this one was easier and there are so many great recipes out there to try I figured why not? and who better to try it out on than my family who will always be honest with me.  I assembled the complete recipe the day before and left it in refrigerator over-night.  Cooked it before we ate dinner. Family loved it and this one will go into the rotation for sure.  Christmas dinner or any holiday/family/dinner give this a go and thanks to Valerie Bertinelli for this awesome recipe.

*I did take a few liberties with the recipe and you may want to as well.

Have a very Happy Healthy Holiday Season.

*see my other stuffing recipe “The Stuffing that will be on our Table” on cookingwithcandi.com

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1/2 lb. Italian sausage removed from casing–I used 1/2 hot and 1/2 sweet use whichever you prefer

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium  onion, chopped

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 cup dried cranberries

One 14 oz. bag cornbread stuffing mix, such as Pepperidge Farm or Arnold. You can use any one you’d like I used the crumbled one because I had it in the house but you can use the cubed one as well.

1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

2-3 cups turkey or chicken stock ( you will start out with 2 cups and I added in a little more the next day when I cooked it)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2 – 3 quart baking dish.

In a dry sauté pan over medium heat, toast the walnuts until lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes but keep an eye on them. Remove from heat and let cool.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5-8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the celery, onion and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt . Stir occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and onion is translucent , about 10 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and cook to just slightly plump them, about 2 minutes and then remove pan from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, add the dry stuffing mix, sage, thyme and walnuts. Mix together the stock and beaten egg in a large measuring cup, then add it to the mixing bowl along with the sausage-vegetable mixture. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper and stir gently to combine thoroughly. Taste for additional salt and pepper but this was enough for me.

Transfer the stuffing mixture to the baking dish and bake until hot and golden brown on top, 30-40 minutes. Serve Hot.

*I had assembled whole recipe the night before, I removed from fridge and brought it to room temperature about 2 hours before I cooked it. I thought it was a little dry so I added about 1/2 cup of broth . I then added a little bit more during the cooking process. You’ll have to feel this part out for yourself if you do it this way. If cooking right away and serving you should be fine with amount of broth (2 cups). Also if you’re using as left-overs you may want to heat it up with a little broth.

*this recipe would easily serve 8-10 as a side dish but feel free to double

 

 

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Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, Stuffing

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Carrot Souffle

Posted on December 11, 2015 | Leave a comment

I was looking for a carrot souffle recipe that would be perfect for the holidays and came across quite a few, I settled on this one and I was very happy I did.  Original recipe comes from Emeril Lagasse, and if you can believe it, it had more butter and more brown sugar than it does, I took a few liberties with the recipe and it was just delicious. The orange flavor is very strong, so if you like you can cut that a bit but I love the fresh flavor of orange so I kept it at a full tablespoon.  It is not difficult to make, just takes some time and a lot of ingredients. I peeled the carrots, and just cut them in thirds to boil, because they were getting thrown in the food processor anyway. You need a food processor for this, and a large one at that. I literally put all ingredients into it and gave it a few whirls. . It is a most perfect  holiday dish, perfect for Christmas, Jewish New Year and Thanksgiving, really any time you are making dinner for a big group. If you’d like you can cut this recipe in 1/2 for a smaller gathering.   I also didn’t use a 9 x 13 but used a deeper casserole dish, which was fine, you can use whatever pretty baking dish you like.  I cooked it for 1/2 the time the day before and then just put in oven again day we were eating it for another 45 minutes or so. The deeper the dish , the longer it will take to fully cook through. It was light like a souffle should be and the topping is crunchy and sweet. This goes to any holiday meal, and really any time. Good news is carrots are always readily available no excuse not to eat them.

*this recipe can easily be cut in half

Ingredients:

3 pounds carrots, I peeled them and cut them into thirds

6 large eggs – beat before adding to processor

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk ( I used skim plus)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest ( use the orange that you will juice)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ( or 1 teaspoon powder)

pinch of salt ( regular table salt)

Topping:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans/walnuts whichever you prefer

1/2 cup all-purpose  flour

4 tablespoon ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter , at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole pan ( up to 9 x 13 ) . Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the peeled cut up carrots, and cook until tender, app. 15 minutes and drain. Combine the carrots with the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. I was able to put all ingredients in a large processor, if not you will have to work in batches.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Combine the topping ingredients, brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter in a medium size bowl , stir to blend. Scatter the mixture over the top of the casserole and bake until the topping is lightly browned, 55 minutes to 1 hour. I baked for 35 minutes the day I made it, and will re – heat it for another 45 minutes before serving. You’ll want it a little bubbly around edges.

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Posted in Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, meatless, vegetables

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Saucy Stuffed Shells – Baked and Meatless

Posted on December 7, 2015 | Leave a comment

Shells 004Shells 007Shells 009Shells 010OK you must be thinking is she kidding Stuffed Shells? gotta be the most fattening food to eat , and it probably is outside of lasagna, baked ziti and the like. Super delicious and sometimes you just hafta roll with it. I wanted a crowd pleaser, hearty, vegetarian and something that can easily be made ahead and frozen. Perfect for holiday and family get togethers. My mind wanders to yummy, gooey food with a lot of cheese because who doesn’t love a lot of cheese. Ah , yes Stuffed Shells.  I wouldn’t cook like this all the time, but once every blue moon no one is getting hurt, right? I served with a salad , no need for bread and butter here. Homemade Maple Syrup Salad Dressing ( see on blog) and it was really pretty awesome. Took a few hours to prepare, mostly because I made my own sauce ( Sunday night sauce) but feel free to use a jar of prepared sauce if you must. This is a perfect meal to make ahead of time, and just pop into oven.

Of course if you love it with meat you can make a meat sauce and follow same directions.

Ingredients:

1 box Jumbo Shells ( you won’t use all but a lot of them break, etc.)

1 lb. Ricotta ( I used Part Skim)

1 egg–whole egg

1 lb. Mozzarella Shredded ( I used Part Skim) if you can obtain fresh mozzarella and shred it that would make it even better! whatever works for you

1 cup grated Parmesan ( any kind you like)

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

*marinara sauce or any red sauce I made my own and use my own recipe. If buying sauce and there are some delicious good sauces out there, you’ll need at least 1 jar and maybe a 1 1/2 jars. I make a big batch of sauce and freeze the remainder. It’s nice to have a little extra sauce in case you need it when you re-heat the stuffed shells. Look on cookingwithcandi.com for Sunday Night Red Sauce (basic red sauce) for my go-to recipe for Red Sauce.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare Pasta , cook for between 12 and 15 minutes, you’ll want them soft but not undercooked at the center. Drain pasta and cool for easy handling.

Combine ricotta, 1/2 of the mozzarella, 1/2 of the Parmesan, parsley and egg in a bowl. Taste for Salt and Pepper.

When shells have cooled down, fill them with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in casserole dish. I used a 9 x 13 Pyrex. Top Shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and grated cheese. Place shells in very hot oven . You can turn on broiler for last few minutes , it should be slightly browned and bubbly. I cook covered with aluminum foil for first 15-20 minutes depending on the oven. Then I remove foil and place under broiler till browned and bubbly. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

*a little tip–I lightly spray underside of aluminum foil with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to cheese topping and cheese stays in baking dish when I remove aluminum foil. Try not to let aluminum foil stick to cheese top when you place it over dish. Spraying does help.

Delicious!

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Easy Chicken Soup with Orzo and Lemon

Posted on December 4, 2015 | 2 comments

photo 4 (24) photo 5 (27)photo 2 (33)I literally started this soup at 5 p.m. and app. one hour later I was eating it.  Now that’s always a good thing in my book. Usually I slow cook my broth etc. and it takes hours ( Homemade Chicken Soup ) but this time there was no time, I wasn’t feeling like cooking my soup for hours and wanted that homemade flavor without all the work . You can certainly cook your own chicken if it works out for you time wise. This would also be perfect with leftover chicken. I bought a rotisserie chicken and this is what I did. For those of you who saw it on Instagram and Facebook–this one’s for you. One more little thing, the fresh dill is the secret ingredient and gives it that wonderful layer of flavor, don’t skip it. I also squeezed fresh lemon into each bowl of soup , this added yet another wonderful layer of flavor to this soup. This is also a fairly low-calorie soup because the whole soup is made with only 1/2 cup of orzo and it was plenty. I used these vegetables this time but feel free to add parsnips, mushrooms, kale or any other veggies you like.

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed and shredded .

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise about 1/2″ thick — if you don’t have a leek use 1 chopped yellow onion

2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/2″ thick slices (app.)

2 large carrots cut into 1/2″ rounds. I found beautiful organic baby carrots and used them, it’s about 2 large carrots but feel free to use a little more or less.

1/2 cup of orzo

6 – 8 cups chicken broth, if you have homemade broth/stock good for you and use it. If not the box ones are awesome. Low-Sodium is good here if you’re concerned about the salt.

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

app. 1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill

*Lemon halves for serving

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the leek, celery and carrots. Cook veggies, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 10-15 minutes. I threw a little salt and pepper in to vegetables during this period, you can taste for salt and pepper again.

Add 6 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Then lower to a simmer for about 20 minutes, just till carrots are soft.

After about 20 minutes, I added 1/2 cup of orzo and cooked for 8- 10 minutes. Taste for Salt and Pepper.

I then added the shredded chicken and dill and I also added a bit more of the chicken stock at this point since broth cooked down a bit.  I heated soup a bit more and served with lemon halves, squeezing a bit of lemon into each bowl of chicken soup before serving.

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Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Posted on December 2, 2015 | Leave a comment

IMG_9890 Our daughter Kerri made this for Thanksgiving this year and it is new to our repertoire and oh so delicious and amazingly easy to make. With the holidays quickly approaching you might want to check this one out and definitely keep it in mind for a dinner party or family gathering.  You will look like a rock star . This recipe is from Naomi Robinson and her website Bakers Royale .  Just find the best chocolate croissants you can buy out there and the rest is easy. It’s truly fuss-free and the ultimate in comfort food. Makes for an amazing dessert or brunch dish.

You can make in a 9×13 Pyrex type baking dish or a 2 small round pie dishes, or 2 smaller baking dishes.

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

8 Tablespoons butter, softened

3 large egg yolks

3 large eggs

2 cups milk ( preferably whole)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

8-10 (1 lb.) chocolate croissants–you will be cutting into 1″ cubes

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

*confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish or 2 8 inch pans or 2 round pie dishes..

Place butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse until blended. Add in egg yolks, eggs, milk , cream , vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon and instant espresso powder. Pulse to blend. If no processor you can use your blender.

Cut croissants into 1 inch cubes and place them into preferred pans. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Pour custard mixture on top. Gently press down on croissant pieces to ensure even absorption.

Bake until set but still soft and a knife inserted at the center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. Dust with confectioners sugar just prior to serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is simply amazing.

 

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