italian wedding soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (about 3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup small pasta, like tubetini, stars, or orzo
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.)
3. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
4. In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil.
6. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
7. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

*Adapted from Ina Garten

zuppa de farro (Italian wheat soup)

After taking an Italian cooking class at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts with my mom and sister, this was one recipe I knew I had to make again. It is a delicious, hearty, Tuscan Italian soup recipe from Roberta L. Dowling.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cans, cannellini beans
1 1/4 cups, Farro (Emmer)
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. pancetta, cut in 1/4-inch dice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup Italian peeled tomato, chopped
4 fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4+ cups chicken stock
4 large leaves of kale, julienned
2 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, gently saute the pancetta in 2 tbsp. olive oil, when pancetta is rendered, add the chopped vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, and garlic). Add the white wine and allow it to evaporate. Add the tomatoes, sage, rosemary, and 2 cups stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Set aside 3/4 cup of the cooked beans. Puree the the remaining beans and their liquid in a food processor and add to the soup. Add the reserved beans. Bring to a simmer, add the Farro and stir to mix well. The liquid should be fairly dense, but not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add additional stock if necessary or desired. Cover the pan and cook the Farro for about 50 minutes or until the grains are swollen and soft, adding stock if necessary.
3. After a half hour of cooking add the kale. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Garnish the soup with the chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.
 

bison beef tacos

Ingredients

1 onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt

1 lb. ground bison beef

1/2 cup smooth canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tsp. cider vinegar

1 tsp. light brown sugar

taco shells

Suggested Toppings:

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

1 tomato, diced and/or salsa

shredded lettuce

guacamole

Instructions

1. Brown beef in skillet over medium heat. When done, remove from pan and place in bowl. If you render a lot of grease, I recommend draining the beef now.

2. Saute onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, and 1 tsp. salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the ground beef.

4. Stir in tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and sugar and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

5. Assemble your tacos! I like serving mine with beans and rice.

*Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

sweet potato and curry soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. curry powder

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, chopped into chunks

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

14 oz. coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large dutch-oven. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes or until softened but not brown. Add the curry powder and stir to combine before adding the sweet potato. Stir until the sweet potato is evenly coated in oil and curry powder. Add the chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked and tender.

2. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.

3. Season with salt and pepper.

*From Soup! the cookbook

Emeril's chicken and rice soup

This is the perfect soup for a sick day!

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 tbsp. Emeril's Original Essence or Creole Seasoning
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups diced onions (small dice)
1 1/2 cups diced carrots (small dice)
1 1/2 cups diced celery (small dice)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 (5-oz) bag pre-washed spinach

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a medium bowl, season with the Essence, and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart (or larger) soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, basil, salt, and crushed red pepper, and continue to cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth and the rice, cover the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the rice is just tender, about 12 minutes.
5. Stir in the spinach, and serve immediately.

*Adapted from Emeril

chicken stew

Ingredients

For the Chicken:
2 large whole chicken breasts bone in, skin on
olive oil
Kosher salt
ground pepper

For the Stew:
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 small-medium onions)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes
1 10 oz. package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through (the thickest part of the breast should be 160 degrees). Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4-6 cups of cubed chicken.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.
4. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. Add 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Cook over medium heat until heated through.
5. Serve with biscuits- yum!

* Adapted from Ina Garten

saffron risotto with roasted butternut squash

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (2 lbs.)

2 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt

ground pepper

5 cups chicken stock (amount of stock needed may vary with the brand of risotto you use)

1/2 stick butter

2 oz. pancetta, diced

1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 oz)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp. saffron threads

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until very tender. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

4. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5-10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.

5. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

*from Ina Garten

pasta e fagioli

Ingredients

4 oz. bacon (4 slices), chopped medium
1 onion
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
3.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2.5 cups water
salt
8 oz. small-shaped pasta (I like orzo, but you could also use ditalini)
pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Stir in onion, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, beans, broth, water, and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in pasta and cook until just slightly underdone. Off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

*from America's Test Kitchen