Classic Soffritto with Spicy Italian Sausage in Tomato Sauce

Posted on February 18, 2015 | 1 comment

Winter cont'd 002Winter cont'd 005Winter cont'd 004Winter cont'd 015Winter cont'd 017Soffritto is a mixture of seasonings and finely chopped vegetables, such as onions, garlic, celery and carrots that is sautéed in olive oil and used as a base for many Italian dishes. I added a little red pepper flakes and oregano. This soffritto takes an average sauce to a perfect sauce. I first learned how to use it many years ago on a trip to Italy. Plus what an awesome way to get Joel to eat some vegetables!

We came home from a beautiful ski day up on The Highlands out here in Aspen, Colorado. Very much in the mood for pasta. I had a pound of italian spicy sausage on hand and all of the other ingredients for this delicious sauce. A short tubular pasta is always best for this sauce, Rigatoni and Penne work really well. I happen to have a box of Tortiglioni noodles which work really well.

Ingredients:

Soffritto:

4 garlic cloves , whole

1 medium onion , cut into quarters

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1 ” pieces

1 celery stalk, cut into 1 ” pieces

1 tsp. dry oregano

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes ( now you all know by now how much I love the heat, if you’re not a fan omit it)

Directions for Soffritto:

Pulse onion, carrot, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped. ( see photo) Set aside.

Sauce:

ingredients:

1 28 oz. can or box of pureed tomatoes, if you don’t have pureed you can just throw whole ones into food processor along with its juice and puree it yourself.

1 lb. hot or sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher Salt, freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste , tubes of Tomato Paste work so well in cases like this

1 lb. Pasta Noodles of your choice

Finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano for garnish

Directions:

In the food processor pulse onion, carrot , celery, garlic , oregano and red pepper flakes until finely chopped; transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, add sausage and cook, breaking up sausage with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon , transfer to a plate.

Increase heat to medium-high , add reserved vegetable mixture to same pan that you cooked sausage in. Taste and season for salt, cook stirring often until vegetables are golden, about 10 minutes.

Stir tomato paste and 1 cup of water in a small bowl, I used measuring cup and small whisk, add to pot with vegetables. Cook , scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Add reserved sausage, and tomato puree and 1 more cup of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer, you may need to add more water if sauce gets too thick. Cook on simmer for about 2 hours. Taste for salt.

* you can make sauce 3 days ahead , let cool. Cover and chill , or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat on stove top on low flame.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, follow package directions for al dente. Drain and reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water.

I make more sauce than I need for the 2 of us, so added sauce to pasta in a separate bowl, adding pasta water as I needed it. I froze the remainder.

 

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Cannellini Beans with Garlic and Rosemary

FullSizeRender (11)FullSizeRender (10)FullSizeRender (14)FullSizeRender (12)FullSizeRender (10)I love beans and what could be more delicious and satisfying as a side dish or over pasta? All Vegetarian and all in one pot! Served with a salad and a crusty piece of bread and you have a meal.

This recipe comes from one of my personal favorite cookbooks. The Can’t Cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld

http://www.doitdelicious.com

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

2 cans cannellini beans (15 oz.) rinsed and drained

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup water

1/4 tsp. kosher salt to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan

Directions:

Peel the carrots and cut them in half lengthwise, then thinly slice them crosswise into half-moons. Chop the garlic and the rosemary.  Open the can of tomatoes, and drain and rinse the beans.

Place a medium saucepan on the stove and heat up to medium. Pour in the oil and heat until it shimmers. ( 1-2 minutes). Add chopped garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until you can actually smell the garlic without burning it, this is very fast maybe a minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the carrots, tomatoes, beans, water, rosemary and salt and pepper. You can taste for salt and pepper at the end of the cooking process. Bring mixture to a boil, the lower the heat to simmer stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender. I probably cooked for about 45 minutes, till vegetables were nice and soft.

Stir in the Parmesan and Serve!!!!

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Posted on February 16, 2015 in side dish, vegetables

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Sexy and Sassy Shrimp for Valentines Day – Fra Diavolo

Posted on February 13, 2015 | 6 comments

photo (3) photo (5)photo (2)OK it’s Valentines Day and that’s the reason for the sexy, and the reason it’s sassy is because this shrimp packs some heat known as Fra Diavolo sauce. What a perfect meal for Valentines Day and it’s red!!! this was so delicious and light. I highly recommend it and it really was an easy dish to make. I would say it’s downright easy to make. This 1 lb. of shrimp should feed 4. I made it with Bucatini pasta, which is a thick ropey spaghetti, you can use whatever type of spaghetti you prefer or none at all. I would say that this whole dish start to finish took 1/2 hour. That’s so perfect. Buy your shrimp peeled and deveined which will save you time. Happy Valentines Day!

*don’t leave out the fresh herbs, they kick it up a notch

Ingredients:

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon of kosher salt , plus more as needed

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 (14 oz. can) diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

1 cup dry white wine

3 garlic cloves , chopped

1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, I didn’t think this was too spicy ,  you’ll have to adjust to your own taste buds. I actually thought 1 teaspoon was pretty mild, next time I will add more, but we like it spicy.

3 tablespoons chopped fresh italian parsley leaves

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

In a medium bowl toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for a few minutes, toss around a bit and continue cooking until shrimp is just cooked through. ( you’ll want it pink and slightly curled up)

Remove shrimp to a bowl, set aside.

In the same skillet add 1 – 2 teaspoons of olive oil and add onions and saute until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano.  Simmer until the sauce starts to thicken up, about 15 minutes. If sauce sits for a while it may loose some of its liquid , you can just add a little bit of water at a time to get sauce where you’d like it, but just a little at a time.  When you’re ready to serve, add the shrimp back into simmering sauce with any juices that they may have accumulated, toss to coat the shrimp, and cook for about 3 minutes . You can cut into a shrimp to make sure it’s cooked , it should be opaque not translucent. Stir in the parsley and basil. Taste for salt, and serve.

*prepare pasta according to directions and serve shrimp and sauce right on top.

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Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps

Posted on February 11, 2015 | 1 comment
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Parmesan Crisps with Tomato Soup

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Soup at the beginning of the cooking process

 

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Parmesan Crisps

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Tube of Tomato Paste–I love the tubes

FullSizeRender (27) FullSizeRender (26)FullSizeRender (23) FullSizeRender (24)One of our most favorite soups is Tomato Soup. I love the creaminess in this soup and the texture and tang of the tomatoes. I added parmesan crisps to the top which only add another layer of “deliciousness” to the soup. I did add 1/2 cup of heavy cream mostly because I had it in the house but also because over the whole recipe it’s just a little bit of richness that goes a very long way. I suppose you can omit it but I wouldn’t. We loved it just the way it was and I have 2 large containers that went into the freezer for another night’s meal. The parmesan crisps are super easy and all you’ll need is some grated parmesan. Croutons would work well as well.

*you’ll need an immersion blender and a Dutch Oven type of pot with a tight fitting lid.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter

1 whole onion, finely diced

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 minced garlic clove

3 whole Large Carrots, Peeled and finely diced

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste–the tubes make life so nice and easy

3 Cans Whole Tomatoes — 28 oz. each–Italian whole plum tomatoes with their juices

32 ounces , Vegetable or Chicken Broth

1 cup water

1/2 cups Heavy Cream

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil ( approximate amount) you can eyeball and you can use more for garnish if you’d like

Grated Parmesan if you want to make the Parmesan Crisps (recipe to follow soup recipe)

Directions:

In a large Dutch Oven kind of pot ( Le Creuset) , heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat, then add onion, garlic and carrots. Stir and cook till vegetables soften but be careful not to burn the garlic and onions. This will take app. 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and incorporate it into the vegetables with a wooden spoon. Cook for another 3 minutes or so.

Add canned tomatoes with their juice, broth and water. Stir together and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for at least 30 minutes. I had time so I allowed it to simmer for about an hour. The longer the better.

I then turned heat off and allowed to cool for a few minutes before using immersion blender. Be careful because hot soup can burn. I gave it a quick few minutes with the immersion blender , the tomatoes completely broke down because they had cooked so long. You can leave some texture in the tomatoes if you like chunkier pieces.

Add the cream, salt and pepper to taste, I used about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and about 12 grinds on the pepper mill. You should taste for salt to your own particular taste. Add the basil and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. I then topped with parmesan crisps and they just kind of melted in to the soup which was just divine.

Parmesan Crisps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 heaping teaspoon of Grated Parmesan onto a silicone or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Pat each teaspoon down a little, leave about 1/2″ apart. Cook for  3- 5 minutes till edges turn brown and crisps are golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes and lift off cookie sheet.

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Spaghetti Carbonara

Posted on February 9, 2015 | Leave a comment

 

When I am really craving pasta and I can’t go out food shopping so I have to use what’s in the pantry, it required so very few ingredients for such a perfect pasta.  I had pasta, eggs, garlic and I always have pancetta in my freezer.  Real carbonara recipes do not contain cream contrary to many recipes , however I did have a tiny bit of heavy cream in the fridge and I like the silky texture of it so I added a little bit, it is totally optional as recipe shows but I like it.  This is a wonderful warming pasta for the cold nights ahead. I also made it vegetarian for my daughter and just used a little butter to cook up the garlic and followed the rest of the directions .

*serves between 4-6 depending on who’s eating it

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry spaghetti ( I love bucatini or perciatelli ) I like the ropey pasta , but use whatever you have in the house, any spaghetti will work.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 oz. chopped pancetta ( I buy it already diced and keep it in the freezer)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large eggs beaten

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano , plus more for serving I added another 1/2 cup right before serving.

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

I like to prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the pasta will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished, With this recipe you’ll want the pasta very hot when adding the raw eggs so that the eggs cook in the sauce,

Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water for thinning out sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over a medium heat.

Add the pancetta and sauté for about 3 minutes, until it is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and sauté for a minute or so till it softens.

Add the hot drained pasta to the pan and give it a good toss for a few minutes , you’ll want pasta to be coated in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stir well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken but do not scramble (that is why you do this off the heat) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt for taste.

Add more cheese at table if you’d like!

Simple and Delicious!

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Cauliflower Pizza

Posted on February 7, 2015 | Leave a comment
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Crust out of the oven

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finished product

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before it went under the broiler

I tried this recipe for the first time last year and have to say it’s really delicious. I absolutely love it.  Now you can find cauliflower crumbles in a bag at the supermarket. Green Giant makes it and often times it can be found in the local farm markets already crumbled! This is a total game changer, you’ll still have to make sure the cauliflower is dry and that is a little time-consuming but worth the effort! The single most important thing about this recipe is getting the moisture out of the cauliflower  (see directions below)   It is so worth the effort. It is low in carbs, high in protein and really delicious. I think the crust alone would be great but with the sauce and cheese it really was like eating pizza but guilt free. I don’t really do the “diet” food thing but every once in a while something grabs my attention like this recipe and it is really good. This is supposed to serve 6 but I ate 1/2 the pizza myself for dinner!!!

Thanks to Joy Bauer for this wonderful recipe.

*apparently it’s 155 calories per serving –6 servings

Original recipe from http://www.joybauer.com/recipes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 head cauliflower, coarsely chopped or a package of cauliflower crumbles

3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

3/4 cup grated parmesan

4 egg whites, beaten

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasonings (available in most supermarkets in the spice section)

Kosher Salt to Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper , to taste

Toppings:

this is what I did but you can use any vegetable toppings you like ( peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach etc.)

app. 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, I always keep my own sauce in the freezer for times like this. If you don’t have “home-made” use jarred sauce. I have a great recipe on my blog under the title “Sunday Night Red Sauce” or my Basic Tomato Sauce originally posted August, 2011 . You can make your own red sauce if you have a little extra time.

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

sprinkle of oregano –optional

sprinkle of crushed red pepper–optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place cauliflower florets in food processor and pulse until finely chopped with absolutely no chunks. I did it in a few batches.

Transfer chopped cauliflower to a bowl that can go in to the microwave. Cover bowl with a paper towel and microwave for 8 minutes until cooked through. Allow cauliflower to cool briefly before squeezing out as much water as possible with a cheese cloth or good paper towels. I really tried to get the water out , it makes for a crispy crust. I did it in batches and put between towels and really squeezed it out. Do not try and rush through this step because you will ruin the dough.

Mash the cauliflower and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Add the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, egg whites, salt and pepper to the mashed cauliflower. Mix thoroughly.

Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray (this turned out to be very important) .

Pour the cauliflower mixture on tin foil and shape into a round pizza crust. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

After 20 minutes remove from oven and add sauce, cheese, any toppings you would like. I just added sauce, cheese, and some seasonings.

Place under broiler until cheese is hot and bubbly, this time will vary depending on your own oven, so keep an eye on it.

Slice and Enjoy!

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Chicken and Rigatoni in One Pot–One Pot Pasta

Posted on February 6, 2015 | Leave a comment

I have been on a little “hiatus” and will be back with a lot of great new recipes. Here is one that I made last August and it is the most perfect meal for the cold winter nights ahead. This is one amazing meal with easy to obtain ingredients. Enjoy!

cookingwithcandi's avatarCooking with Candi

photo 2photo 3photo 4 (2)photo 5 (2)photophoto 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…

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Kitchen Sink White Bean Chili (also my Super Bowl Chili)

Posted on January 29, 2015 | Leave a comment

dirty sink from kitchen sink chili

This was originally posted back in winter of 2013.  I am re-posting it for those of you looking for an awesome chili for Superbowl  Sunday . Enjoy!

We just got back from two beautiful days in Moab, Utah. We hiked most of the time and the glory and splendor that is there has no words. If you ever have the opportunity to go you should do so. It is an amazing area–Arches National Park, the Canyonlands, the whole area is just breathtaking. We hadn’t had snow here so we went on the road. Now we’re back and today was spectacular! It snowed in Aspen last night and we skied today. So nice to be back skiing. It was Sunday, and the Giants were in the playoffs. Joel set the DVR and we were gone all day. I had taken out a package of chopped turkey and figured that I would pick up a few things and make this chili that I love. I use a lot of stuff from my pantry and substitute ingredients where necessary (it’s a think-on-your-feet kind of recipe!) I served with shredded cheese and chips, and it was heartwarming and delicious.

I also have to add a little note: I cook a lot and usually make a big mess. Joel always cleans up and he is such a good cleaner upper! Our deal is that I do the cooking and he does the cleaning. I might add that this is a very good deal because I am not so fond of cleaning up the mess I make cooking. Obviously, I try to clean as I go, so as to not be a complete pig about it, but he’s really a good sport about it, in general. Anyway, he asked me to post a picture of some of the mess I left him in the sink.

I also make this as one of my dishes for Super Bowl but usually for Super Bowl I do it in the slow cooker so it stays warm for a long time. I just throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and simmer away. Tonite I cooked it in my trusty Le Creuset. I often mess around with these ingredients and you can too. For instance, I only had 1 can of White Northern Beans but I had 2 of Pinto so as long as they are white beans it’s okay to use them. I didn’t have Picante sauce in the house, but I had some great salsa, so I used that instead. I made it with turkey but you can use chicken, or eliminate meat altogether and make it vegetarian with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. It’s chili, which is not a perfect science by any means; so be flexible with ingredients, but make sure to use proportionate amounts.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 large white onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (I use green for color but be my guest and switch to whatever you have handy or prefer to use)

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

3 15 oz. cans of White Northern Beans (or any white bean, such as Pinto), drained

7 oz. salsa or Picante sauce (Newman’s own was in pantry but I found a fresh salsa in fridge so I substitured the fresh salsa) they are both fine, use whatever

1 8 oz. can of diced green chiles (I used 2 cans of 4 oz. hot green chiles)

1 8 oz. can of whole kernel corn

1 lb. can diced tomatoes (drained)

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. Mexican oregano (this is available here in Colorado but may not be everywhere. You can try to find it but if you can’t, regular oregano will have to do…and yes, I know that it looks like pot in my picture.)

Kosher salt to taste (you’ll need a fair amount but salt along the way to your liking, I used a fair amount of salt, but use your own discretion, it’s a big pot of chili

Freshly ground black pepper to taste (if you have white pepper that works as well in this, because it is White Chili)

3 – 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock (I start out with 3 and if it is too thick I usually add up to another cup.) I did use 4 at the end, if you’re eating it that night use 3 then before you freeze or refrigerate add another cup to the pot so as to add some more liquid.

12 oz. sour cream (Lite is good. Non-fat is okay, but I don’t love it. Strain first to get rid of that little bit of liquid. You can also use yogurt. Add this ingredient last and blend in well.) Sometimes, I take it out of container and mix it up a bit so it will blend in better.

Shredded cheese (Mexican Style, Jalapeno or Cheddar), for topping. (I let people add this themselves, since some people don’t want the cheese.)

* jalapeno pepper (I love the heat so I dice up a fresh jalapeno, add it to mine, and then leave it in a little bowl for anyone else who may want it.)

Tortilla chips on the side

Directions:

In a large stockpot (my trusty Le Creuset) melt the butter on a medium heat.  Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook until soft. I add the garlic at this point and a little kosher salt.

Puree 1 1/2 cans of the drained beans (Cuisinart food processor is best) until beans are smooth and add to the pot.

Add the rest of the beans, along with the salsa, chiles, corn, tomatoes, and spices (plus anything else you may want to add). Cook for a few more minutes on a low heat,  until the ingredients are blended.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. I then lower the heat and simmer for about an hour on the stove top.

Before you’re ready to serve it, add the sour cream and blend well while simmering.

I place the shredded cheese, extra sour cream, chips, fresh-cut up jalapenos, salsa (and sometimes guacamole) in bowls on the side so everyone can make their chili their way.

Enjoy!

This is so easy, you can make in the morning, and let it sit all day in fridge. You may want to add liquid at some point when you serve. We ate it that night, and then I put in containers for fridge and freezer. I added the rest of the stock before I froze it. Just add back to pot and stir, and then ladle into containers.  Keeps in fridge for at least 3 days. Perfect for freezing, I just take it out of freezer in the morning and by evening it should be defrosted , heat it up and you may need to add some liquid if it is too thick. Those little boxes ( 1 cup size) of broth come in handy here.

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Chicken Marsala

Posted on January 29, 2015 | 2 comments

Chicken Marsala

One night last week I prepared a version of Chicken Marsala which came out totally delicious, and worthy of posting this recipe. I am always trying out new recipes for this dish. I combined about 3 recipes and I must say this final recipe worked out just perfectly. It would have been more perfect with a green vegetable served alongside, like brussel sprouts but it was sort of last minute and didn’t have the veggies, which was just fine with Joel. I served it with a plain brown rice which worked out nicely.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all purpose flour for coating

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

I used 1 package thin chicken cutlets ( 5 pieces ) about 1 1/2 lbs.

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup olive oil

8 ounces Cremini Mushrooms sliced (stemmed)

1/2 cup Marsala ( you can buy in supermarket in the oil or vinegar section usually)

1/4 cup Sherry ( I used what I had in the house , it’s not really cooking Sherry but it was fine)

1/2 cup chicken stock

*1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley ( I didn’t have so I didn’t use)

Directions:

In a shallow bowl or large plate, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano. coat chicken pieces in the flour mixture.

In a large skillet, melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot place chicken in the pan and lightly brown. A little hint, don’t futz with the chicken , place it in ( make sure the oil is very hot) and let it be , turn after about 5 minutes, it should be a light golden brown, then do the same for the other side. Use tongs , try not to pierce the skin of the chicken. Remove chicken to a plate, I take paper towel and blot it.

Lower the heat, put mushrooms in pan. I sprinkle a little salt on the mushrooms. Cook mushrooms for about 5 minutes till their moisture has evaporated, and then deglaze the pan with the sherry, Marsala,  and the chicken broth. Let it cook for another few minutes. The sauce will reduce slightly. Return the chicken to the pan, cover the pan and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, turning once. Before you serve sprinkle some chopped parsley on it if you like. I served over brown rice.

Chicken Marsala

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Easy Chicken Soup with Orzo and Lemon

Posted on January 21, 2015 | 3 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 great 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 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

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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