Zuppa Toscana-Easy and Delicious

As I have said many times I make a weekly menu.  When the temperature begins to drop you can be sure that there is at least one soup listed.  I had purchased some gnocchi last week so I went to Pinterest to find a recipe.  I was immediately drawn to this recipe because it listed only 7 ingredients and Zuppa Toscana is my soup of choice at Olive Garden. 

I have changed the recipe a bit to suit my family and their many preferences.  We prefer the lacitino kale because it seems to be mild and a bit softer.  My kids also don't like spicy foods so I purchased some mild chicken Italian sausage. 

This recipe was way better than I expected.  I don't have much to say except that you should make it now!

 

Zuppa Toscana

slightly adapted from Gimme Some Oven

1lb. ground sweet chicken Italian sausage
1/2 medium onion, diced
32oz. vegetable broth
12 oz. roasted red peppers, chopped (I used this brand)
1 bunch or 5-6 leaves lacinato kale (roughly chopped, large stems removed)
1 lb. mini potato gnocchi (I used this brand)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: grated parmesan

In a stock pot, brown the Italian sausage along with the diced onion over medium heat.  Make sure the sausage is broken up into nice size bites for the soup.  Drain any grease from the pot.  Return the pot to medium heat and add the broth plus diced roasted red peppers.  Once the soup comes to a simmer add the roughly chopped kale and gnocchi.  Cover and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the 1/2 cup heavy cream and heat just until warm.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

I added a little bit of grated parmesan to each serving. 

Enjoy!

One Pot Cabbage Dinner

It has been two months since my last post and I am going to start this out with yet another apology for being lame.  The thing is that I have enjoyed hanging out with the family and indulging in other things that I love to do such as read and crochet.  I found this amazing crochet pattern for an infinity scarf and have already made four scarves and plan for at least three more. It is hard to find time to fit in all of my hobbies.  The boys are getting more active and my classes are starting back up again.

Two little things have brought me back to this recipe a few times, I love cabbage and it is cheap.  One pot meals have always been attractive to me but the fact that my kids will have seconds will keep this on the menu list at least once a month.  This recipe is basically a deconstruction of stuffed cabbage.

The original recipe called for rice but we have grown fond of quinoa in this house so I made that small adjustment from the first recipe I found.  I hope that you try this at least once. I think that my recipe feeds quite a few people because I always have leftovers. I love eating leftovers at work for lunch and hearing people comment on how good it smells.  Easy and Delicious!

One Pot Cabbage Dinner

Original recipe can be found here     

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (substitute turkey if you prefer)
1 cup chopped onion
1 small head cabbage (roughly chopped)
1 cup quinoa (add raw)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Saute the ground beef and onion over medium heat in a large (12 inch) oven proof skillet.  You want a nice deep skillet, preferably with a lid, so that you can cook everything together and then broil at the end.  Drain the grease from the meat if there is any and return to the stove.  Add the cabbage and cook just until it starts to wilt. Now add the quinoa, tomato sauce, water and diced tomatoes.  Stir until very well combined.  Put the lid on the skillet and simmer for about 20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked, stir occasionally.  Sprinkle the cup of cheese over the top and then broil (about 500 degrees) in the oven without the lid on the skillet just until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Note: Make sure you remember the pan was in the oven because i have grabbed a hot skillet handle too many times to count.

Enjoy!!!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

I want to start with the usual sorry that I haven't been posting much.  Life gets in the way of hobbies you know.  Second, I want to say that Skinnytaste.com is one of my favorite food sites and I have Laura Walter to thank for that.  Lastly I hope you enjoy this recipe because it is delicious, fully of veggies and family friendly.


This sloppy joe recipe might be the best that I have made yet.  I think I have now tried about 4 different sloppy joe recipes from crockpot recipes to italian sausage being added as the meat.  I need to keep this recipe in my rotation for sure.

Look at all those vegetables!

My kids didn't even realize that this recipe is full of vegetables.  I happen to have one of those food choppers so it didn't take much time to get the vegetables chopped into minced size pieces.  The picture I took for my dinner shows the mixture over one slice of toast with a slice of provolone.  I don't mind eating my sandwiches with a fork and knife.  Some might argue it isn't a sandwich unless it has two slices.  oh well.

Bonus! The same week we were able to eat the rest of the sloppy joes over some mac n' cheese.  Ty is now calling it Sloppy Cheese.

Sloppy Joes

Serves 6-8

Adapted from recipe found here

1 1/2 pounds turkey
1/2 Tablespoon season salt
1/2 Tablespoon steak seasoning
1 medium carrot minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red pepper, minced
4 oz portabella mushroom, minced
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tablespoon tomato paste

Brown the turkey in a skillet over medium heat adding the season salt and steak seasoning.  While the turkey is browning make sure you prep your veggies.  Finely chop or mince the carrot, garlic, mushroom and red pepper.  Once the turkey is browned add the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the red wine vinegar and worcestershire.  Cook an additional two minutes.  Now you can add the tomato sauce and tomato paste.  Still to combine and cook on low for 5-10 minutes to warm through.
Serve on toasted bun or on a slice of toast.

Note: Toasting will prevent the bread from getting soggy too quick.

*Remember if you don't have items on the list you can improvise.  If you don't have red pepper, replace with any other color of bell pepper.  If you don't have the same seasoning for the turkey use what you have in your pantry. Just keep in mind that sloppy joes have a bold and tangy flavor.

Enjoy!!

Blondies-The Other Brownie

Recently I was looking for something that I could easily bake on a weeknight.  I saw an Instagram post by Shutterbean about an archived Blondie recipe so I was anxious to look it up.  I have never been a fan of blondies because I want dark chocolate fudge like brownies but these were different.  I took the blondies to work and they were gone by the afternoon.  I received multiple emails thanking me for the delicious treats.

The original recipe called for walnuts but I had some whole pecans on hand.  I had just enough pecans in the cabinet to makes these blondies really chunky and full of flavor.  I have mentioned in previous posts that I buy my chocolate chips in bulk and they are the 60% bittersweet Ghiradelli chips.  I think that if I had used a semisweet chocolate chip that the blondie would have been too rich.


Pecan Chocolate Chip Blondies

Servings: 24

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup whole or chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 9x13 baking pan with parchment or butter.  Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy with mixer.  Add the vanilla and eggs.  Beat again until combined.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt.  Beat again just until mixed.  Do not over mix.  Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.  Spread into prepared pan (the dough will be thick) and bake for exactly 30 minutes.
Take out of oven and let cool completely before cutting.

Note: I highly recommend eating them slightly warm.  Amazing.

Enjoy!!

Chocolate Gingersnaps

I have to say I have been obsessed with this recipe since I saw it posted by a friend on Facebook.  I will be forever grateful to Luanne Holladay for sharing this gem of a cookie with me. Most people associate Fall with pumpkin or chili but I start to crave a nice gingersnap when the weather gets cool and the leaves start to change.

First of all the fact that I hated gingersnaps as a kid is quite funny to me now.  I remember my dad used to by the Archway Gingersnaps on a Sunday and I would be tricked by their sugar sprinkled top.  The spice was too much for my tongue back in the day.

This cookie is perfectly soft and chewy.  With such a small amount of chocolate in the cookie it isn't too sweet.  The ginger and molasses give it a bit of a kick in the end that fills the palate with spice.

Please give this cookie a chance and you will find yourself craving these from time to time, I promise.

Chocolate Gingersnaps

Original recipe by Mollie Katzen
Makes: 36-48 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
(or use a 1oz square of unsweet chocolate)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone liner.  Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (I used a hand mixer).  Add melted chocolate and beat again until combined.  Add in molasses, egg, and vanilla and beat again.

Next you will start adding your dry ingredients.  Add the flour, baking soda, ginger and salt.  Now you will just stir to combine.  You don't want to beat the dry ingredients because it will make a tough dough.

Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. You should have only 12 cookies to a pan.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let rest for a minute before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.  Cool completely before putting in a storage container.

Enjoy!!

Easy Potato Soup

The weather has started to become cool and crisp so it is time to start making my favorite soups.  Last year I made soup almost once a week and would have enough leftover from dinner that I would take some for lunch.  I am excited to share my favorite soup recipes with you because they are warm, cozy and full of flavor.

My first soup of the Fall season happens to be the easiest.  This soup only has five ingredients and that includes the pepper.  I think the flavor of the soup starts with the bacon that is fried up in the pot.  If you don't want to add bacon since it is only used as a topping you can just start with the leeks.

I remember coming across this recipe a few years ago in a cookbook I bought called 5 Ingredient Fix by Claire Robinson.  I have searched for this recipe online but I haven't been able to find it so what I make now is just from memory with a few minor adjustments of my own.

Easy Potato Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces of thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts chopped and rinsed (or 3 medium)
• 16 golden potatoes, cubed (about 1, 3lb bag)
• 6 cups veggie broth
• salt/pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large stock pot until crisp.  Remove from pot and cool.  Drain excess grease from the pot. Add chopped/drained leeks to pot and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until soft.  Once the leeks begin to soften add the potatoes and vegetable broth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low/medium and cook about 15-20 minutes until you are able to pierce the potatoes with a fork.
Remove the pot from the heat and ladle by the spoonful into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  I blend in batches and then return to the pot on the stove. (You can also use an emulsion blender for the same effect) Before serving top with crumbled bacon.

*Additional topping suggestions-sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, Sriracha.

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Pancakes

I feel so bad for not keeping up with the blog but I have started my online classes and have been bogged down with the amount of homework that is due. I had good intentions over the past few weeks but one thing or another got in the way of posting delicious recipes.

Last week I made my favorite coffee cake and when I got my camera out to take a photo but it immediately gave me a message that I needed to charge my battery.  After searching the house for my charger (we had recently went through a purge) I found my extra battery and charger and was back in business, however, the coffee cake was gone.

Now let's get back to this cinnamon pancake recipe that is absolutely delicious and makes enough you can freeze them for later.
I decided last weekend when I woke up that the air was cool and crisp so it must officially be Fall.  I asked the boys if they wanted some pancakes and of course they excitedly said yes.  We have these spiced pancakes along with some chai which made our morning feel so cozy.

Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon butter melted, slightly cool

*If you don't have buttermilk you can add 1 Tablespoon white vinegar to the regular milk and let sit while you measure out the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  I put 1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon in the ingredients list because it just depends on how strong you like the flavor. Once you combine the dry ingredients make a well and add all of the wet ingredients.  Whisk just until combined.

Heat a skillet (if not nonstick melt 1/2 Tablespoon butter in pan) and once it is warm drop the batter, about the size of a sand dollar, into the pan allowing space between for flipping the pancakes. Do not flip until you see bubbles on the surface of the batter.  I have made the mistake a few too many times and flip before the batter is ready but then I end up with a crumpled mess.

I made this recipe and had enough for breakfast plus more to freeze for another date.

**Note: if you freeze pancakes, I recommend placing a small piece of parchment between each cake.

Enjoy!!