What's Cooking: Tomato and Meatball Soup

I finally got a chance to make something in my dutch oven! I found a recipe for Tomato and Meatball soup and tried it out. It was delicious! This one will definitely become a winter staple at our house.

I made the meatball mixture from scratch and was skeptical about how it would turn out. I's never cooked raw meatballs in a soup, but it worked!

Here's the complete recipe and directions from the wonderful Hip Hostess...

Tomato and Meatball Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Meatballs

2 slices of white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces**

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1 large egg, slightly beaten

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb extra lean ground beef

Soup

8 oz whole wheat rotini pasta

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, small diced

1 onion, minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes in puree

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

grated Parmesan

julienned basil

Meatballs

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, place the milk and bread and allow to soak for a minute or two. Using a fork whisk the two ingredients to combine. Stir in the parm, garlic, thyme, egg, salt, and pepper. Add the meat and mix together with a fork to keep the mixture light and not dense. Wet your hands and roll 1-inch meatballs, placing them on the baking sheet. You should have 30 - 35meatballs.

Soup

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and set aside.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook an additional 5 - 7 minutes until translucent but not brown. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds until garlic becomes very fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Add the meatballs without stirring, and bring the temperature up to a simmer. Cook until meatballs are tender but cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add the pasta to the soup and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve each bowl with a sprinkle of Parmesan and julienned basil on top.

After Flannel Man and I each had a big bowl we still had plenty left to freeze for another night. It was the perfect hearty meal for a cold night.

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: A Whole Chicken

I made a whole chicken in a crock pot. Woo hoo! It's like the simplest thing ever, but it was still pretty intimidating... it's a whole chicken.

All I had to do was rinse off the chicken and sprinkle paprika and minced garlic on top. Then I cooked it 7 hours on low. When I got home form work it was hot and ready. The meat was literally falling off the bone.

Here's a great how-to that I followed at The Happy Housewife.

We ended up with a ton of meat that made for a wonderful dinner and lots of leftovers. It also taught me not to be scared of cooking things that seem "big."

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Parchment-Baked Halibut

So here's a post just for the halibut... sorry. Anyway, I made halibut for the first time and I wasn't impressed. It was expensive and not fantastic compared to salmon or other basic fish. It was simple to cook though.

You place the halibut steak (yeah, I didn't know it was called that either) inside a piece of parchment paper. You fold it over and create a little pocket for each one. Put slices of orange into each pocket and cook for 12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Pasta With Bacon and Cauliflower

This recipe was really delicious, but it's super rich. I've never used pecorino in a recipe before. Actually I didn't know what it was before this (it's a type of cheese). It has a really distinct taste that was wonderful with the cauliflower.

The recipe is from Real Simple ...

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti (3/4 box)

• 6 slices bacon

• 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves

• 1 small head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into small florets

• salt and black pepper

• 3/4 cup grated pecorino (3 ounces)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and crumble.

3. Add the sage to the drippings in the skillet and cook over medium heat, turning once, until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the bacon.

4. Add the cauliflower, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper to the drippings in the skillet and cook, covered, for 2 minutes.

5. Uncover and cook, tossing frequently, until golden and tender, 3 to 4 minutes more.

6. Add the reserved pasta water and ½ cup pecorino to the pasta; toss until creamy. Add the cauliflower, sage, and bacon and toss. Sprinkle with remaining pecorino.

Photos by moi

What's Cooking: Red Potato Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

-1/2 cup Light Ranch Dressing

-1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

-1/4 cup Real Bacon Bits

-2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered

-1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to 350°F.

1) Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat.

2) Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover.

3) Bake 55 min. or until potatoes are tender, uncovering after 40 min. Sprinkle with parsley.

***I cooked them for closer to 2 hours.

This recipe was delicious, but it took twice the time listed to cook. I also screwed up, because I forgot to quarter the potatoes before I coated them in the cheese and dressing. So cutting them up was much more difficult than it needed to be. They were great warmed up even 5 days later. So if you made the casserole at the beginning of the week you could use it as a side a couple times.

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Orange Julius

For Monday night football games, Flannel Man's family used to make a pitcher of Orange Julius and a big bowl of popcorn. I, on the other hand, had never had an orange julius. So we got out our blender and whipped up the delicious drink using this recipe...

INGREDIENTS:

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup regular sugar

1/4 powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract
8-9 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients except ice cubes in blender.

2. Blend for about 1-2 minutes, adding ice cubes one at a time.

We poured the drinks into fancy martini glasses and sipped away. On a side note, adding a splash of rum is wonderful too!

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Baked Acorn Squash

My sister gave me some yellow acorn squash the other day and I had no idea how to cook it. So yay for google and millions of recipes at your fingertips. Here's the one I used...

BAKED ACORN SQUASH

Yield: 4 servings.

2 med. acorn squash

2 to 4 tbsp. butter

Salt

2 to 4 tbsp. brown sugar

1. Wash the acorn squash well and cut in half, lengthwise.

2. Remove seeds.

3. Place the half squash cut side down in pan. Pour boiling water to 1/4 inch depth. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Turn cut-side up; sprinkle with butter, salt and brown sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender.

I laid the halved squash in the pan and after 30 minutes in the oven I turned it and added the rest of the ingredients.

The butter and brown sugar melted beautifully. After a total of 1 hour in the oven, the squash was very tender. The hardest part was scrapping it out of the shell without burning myself or ripping the shell apart.

It created a mashed potato-like mush that tasted pretty good. In the end I'd say I'm glad I tried it, but it was way too much work for something we didn't absolutely love.

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: King Crab Legs

We decided to try cooking Alaskan king crab legs for the first time this week. It was so much simpler than I expected. When you buy the legs they are already fully cooked. All you have to do is thaw them and then follow these directions...

To bake crab legs

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Crack the whole crab legs and place them on a baking tray.

3. Brush the crab legs with butter or oil, seasoning and lemon juice and bake in the oven for 8 - 9 minutes.

We also made a dipping sauce for them using this recipe...

Butter Sauce: 1/2 cup unsalted melted butter, 1-tablespoon lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt and 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed.

We each had two legs and along with some broccoli and french bread, it was a very full meal. It turned out perfectly and was less expensive than I expected. The 4 legs cost $18, which is too much for a weekly meal, but just right for a special treat.

During the same weekend I attended an art fair and found a gorgeous pottery piece that I knew would be a great addition to our kitchen. We used it for the first time to serve the bread. The piece includes a small bowl, ideal for dipping sauces, which held some garlic butter for our bread.

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Mexican Night

(The basics: margaritas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, beef, guac, tomatoes and chips)

I can't explain to you how much I love Mexican food. It's got to be my favorite ethnic cuisine. Despite this love for all things Mexican related (in the food world), it wasn't until last month that I made tacos at home for the first time. Pathetic, I know, but I had no idea how simple it all was.

I chopped up tomatoes, lettuce and fresh cilantro. I browned 1 lb. of ground beef and added 3/4 cup of water and taco seasoning. I got out chips, salsa and shredded cheese. I squashed up an avocado, a splash of lime juice and a bit of cilantro to make guacamole. Then (the most important part) I mixed a batch of margaritas (I usually get a pre-made mix with no alcohol and follow the instructions adjusting to our tastes). After that, just add sombreros and hot sauce and you're ready to go!

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Stuffed Tomatoes

(Ingredients)

Summer is in full swing, which means we have a surplus of tomatoes and cucumbers. As much as Flannel Man and I love to eat them sliced and sprinkled with salt, I thought I'd try to mix it up. I found a recipe for stuffed tomatoes and it was incredibly easy to make.

(Finished tomatoes)

Cut the tops off of a few tomatoes and scoop out the insides. Be careful not to get too close to the outside skin. Cut up a cucumber and mix the bits with feta and a tiny bit of olive oil. Once it's mixed together, fill your tomato bowls with the feta and cucumbers and you're good to go!

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Lamb Chops

(The finished product, served with cucumber slices)

Lamb Chops with Lemon Mint Gremolata

8 Lamb rib chops (I made only 4, ribs are expensive!)

2 lemons zested

2 garlic cloves finely chopped (I used minced garlic)

1 large shallot chopped

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

1 tsp virgin olive oil

(Mint, lemon zest and shallots, chopped and ready to go)

1) Brush lamb chops with olive oil, add salt and pepper, then set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes

2) Then make gremolata by mixing the lemon zest, shallot, garlic and mint in a small bowl

(Lamb Chops before I cooked them)

3) Preheat the broiler with the oven rack 6 inches from the heat source. Place the lamb chops on a rimmed baking sheet and when the broiler is hot, broil the chops for 4 minutes on each side.

4) Turn off the broiler and leave the chops in the oven for 15 minutes

5) Coat the finished chops with the gremolata.

The finished product was good, but I wish I'd left the shallot out completely. I'm not a fan of onion and that taste seemed to overwhelm everything else.

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Crustini

Recently I made this in an effort to try something a bit different. The recipe calls for a bit of olive oil and a baguette. Cut the baguette into thin slices, brush them with the oil and bake them at 375 degree on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes.

Once they're cooked, cover each baguette with a slice of prosciutto. You'll need about 8 thin slices cut in half to make 16 pieces.

Then cut super thin slices of green apple for each baguette. You'll only need half of an apple.

The final bit is topping each baguette with some gorgonzola cheese crumbles. They make a great appetizer for a party and each one is very rich. A sweet, white Gewurztraminer wine went really well with it.

Photos by moi.

What's Cooking: Cottage Pie

(Cooking the ground beef and peas)

I've found a new favorite of Flannel Man's, Cottage Pie, made from a recipe in Real Simple (found here).

It was incredibly easy and the only thing I changed was baking it in one big dish, instead of individual ones. I also left out the carrots, but would probably add them in next time.

Directions

1) Brown 1 pound ground beef

2) Stir in 1⁄3 cup ketchup and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Add 1½ cups frozen peas and carrots.

(Cooked beef and peas in dish, half covered with potatoes)

3) Transfer to 4 individual baking dishes.

4) Top with 3 cups mashed potatoes

5) Bake at 400° F until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

(Finished dish)

Photos by moi.

Fresh Green Beans

I'm really new to the world of cooking and so the simplest things can seem overwhelming. A friend gave me a big bag full of fresh green beans from her garden and I was at a complete loss as to what to do with them.

Another friend came to the rescue with the simplest instructions: snap off the ends and boil them until they are tender in a pot with some minced garlic. So easy and delicious!

Photo by moi.

What's Cooking: White Chicken Chili

This is my new favorite crock pot dish. We had almost every ingredient on hand, so it was super easy. Also, I learned that the cutting an onion and crying thing is legit, those things are vicious! I added extra garlic and hot sauce, because that's how we roll, and it was perfect. We froze half and will hopefully enjoy that later.

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 cans (about 15 ounces each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (12 to 15 oz.) corn, drained
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours, or until chicken is tender.

Awful photo by moi.

What's Cooking: Chicken with Broccoli

This Real Simple recipe was a great way to spice up a regular chicken dish. I used minced garlic instead of cloves and used broccolini instead of broccoli rabe because I couldn't find ANY at the grocery store.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 6 dried apricots, sliced
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), trimmed

I ended up making it without pine nuts (because I forgot to buy them), but it was still delicious. The broccoli was particularly good because the garlic flavor was perfection. Mmm.

Photos by moi.