Rustic and Hearty Tuscan-style Soup

When damp, chilly weather arrives we crave warming soup at my house, and this one is right up there among the top favorites. I've shared this one before and I understand it's similar to, (or a copycat version of) Toscana soup as served at the Olive Garden restaurant. I can't vouch for that as I've never had it there.
Even though I enjoy soup at any time of year,  I only make this particular recipe when the temperatures are cool ~ it's very hearty and filling, almost like a stew.




As you can see, the ingredient list is simple; no exotic items and surprisingly, for such a flavorful outcome, you don't need to add extra seasoning except for some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
I always increase the amount of veggies in the recipe as I prefer this soup chunky, and we all know they are good for us. :)

 

You can have this on your table within about 30 minutes. It's wonderful eaten straight after cooking it, and as with most soups it is fabulous reheated the next day. When reheating I usually add more of the greens just to liven up the color a bit.



It won't win any prizes for beauty, but for what it lacks in visual appeal it more than compensates in satisfying flavor.  I hope you'll give this one a try, it has to be among my top favorite 5 soups --- maybe in the top 3.
You can get the printable copy of the recipe over on my recipe site.

I'm so happy you came by to visit, have a lovely day!
~ mari  

Chicken Meatballs with Mozzarella

Chicken Meatballs with Mozzarella Centers

Ouch.   I've long been guilty of subscribing to food/recipe oriented magazines, and with good intentions I read them and earmark recipes I'd like to try. Unfortunately too often time gets away from me and before I know it the next issue has arrived in my mail box.
This year I'm trying to improve this habit ~  For starters I've pared down the number of subscriptions and I'm making an effort to actually make at least one or two recipes that I've saved.
Maybe you've found, as I have, that with access to the  internet the number of great recipes available to us is seemingly endless. So if you're not a magazine subscriber or cookbook-collector there is no need to be concerned about finding great recipes when there are so many available  at the touch of our keypads.



These are also delicious served as an appetizer with marinara (skip the pasta) or served with cocktail picks and your favorite salsa.


This recipe is from a fall 2012 issue of Everyday Food.
The changes I made to the recipe:  
1.) I did not deep fry the meatballs before baking;  I shallow fried them in a skillet with about 1/2-inch of oil, then drained well before baking to finish cooking them through.  You can skip the frying step, but the meatballs will be a rather unappealing pale gray color, and they won't have the pleasing thin,  crisp coating.
2.) I made each meatball about 1 1/2-inch in diameter; 3 or 4 meatballs of this size (with pasta) seemed like a generous portion.  3.) I grind my own chicken (boned, trimmed and skinned thighs) with the  KitchenAid Food Grinder (attachment for KA stand mixers).
If you haven't tried grinding your own meat, I urge you to do so. You can control the grind that you prefer, you'll know just what goes into your ground meat, and the quality is far superior to that which you can buy.  It's a very simple process and only takes a few minutes for worthwhile results.


A nice melty surprise when the meatball is cut open. The meatballs above were cooked right after assembly.


These were frozen after shallow frying. (Cooled then frozen, to be baked later.)

I froze half of the meatballs after shallow frying, cooled (before baking), they freeze beautifully ~ I thawed them for about an hour before baking.  The only difference I noted is that the mozzarella chunk left an exact impression after baking.  The melted cheese is not quite gooey as those freshly  assembled then cooked immediately, but I doubt anyone but you will know the difference!  ;^)
Note: You can also make these using ground turkey.


If you try this method of preparing meatballs, I hope it will become a favorite.
Thank you for stopping by today!
xo~m.

Italian-Style Turkey Lasagna Roll-Ups ~ Clean Eating

During my quest to shed a few pounds, I almost resigned myself to the frozen food aisle ~ you know; Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, Weight Watchers, etc.  But I couldn't see myself eating that way long term ~ at all.


To me those meals are "okay" in a pinch, but I have never been very satisfied with the flavor or seasonings used in most of them. The tomato based sauces always taste cloyingly sweet, and the remainder of the ingredients are invariably bland in almost all of the entrees, imo. And you just know they don't use the same quality ingredients that you would choose yourself if you were making the dish, plus the fresh taste is missing , not to mention the chemicals and other additives which are incorporated into the frozen meals. :p


 As I said, for me, they are "okay" once in a while ~ BUT

I knew if I was going to stick with this change in my way of eating I was going to have to find a way to make the lower fat/calorie meals way more palatable.

The good news is there are plenty of magazines and cookbooks designed to assist in keeping meals healthy, lean and delicious. 

Here is an example of that kind of recipe; it was originally published in Clean Eating magazine ~ I missed it in the magazine, but

I found it in the cookbook ~




 The Best of Clean Eating: Over 200 Mouthwatering Recipes to Keep You Lean and Healthy

Here's the assembled dish before baking

They are a little time consuming to make, but the good news is that they can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated until you're ready to bake and serve them.

Although I haven't tried it yet, I suspect these would be a good candidate for freezing, either individually or in multiples that would work for your family.

The recipe makes a 8 generously sized rolls so I ended up dividing the recipe in half, and along with a green salad one roll made a good size serving ~ in fact, I couldn't finish the entire roll and the remainder was great reheated for lunch the next day.

To bump the nutrition us you can use either whole wheat lasagna noodles or whole grain. I substituted fresh spinach for frozen that the recipe called for, simply because I had it on hand ~ and the remaining ingredients are:

a small onion, clove of garlic, lean ground turkey breast, 28oz jar of tomatoes in juice, low fat ricotta cheese, an egg, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. I added some freshly ground black pepper, dried basil and oregano to the sauce, and a tablespoon of red wine as well.

Each roll provides 234 calories, total fat 3g, sat fat 0, carbs 27g, fiber 5g,

sugars 7g, protein 28g, Sodium 508mg, Cholesterol 76mg


And! 90% of your daily vitamin A requirements, plus 366mg calcium. :)

One serving ~ delicious, and more than I could eat at one meal (reheats beautifully)




Definitely a keeper!  I would gladly make these again.

You'll find a printable copy of the recipe is over on Once Upon a Plate ~ The Recipes:   click HERE.




~*~*~*~*~*~

If you would like to learn more about "The Best of Clean Eating" cookbook, just click the link below.  (It's a wonderful cookbook.)

I've been really pleased with this cookbook ~ everything I've tried so far has been very flavorful and easy to prepare and I like the fact that it contains the best of the Clean Eating magazine's recipes all indexed and in one place. If you like flavorful, light and healthy cuisine, I think you'll like this one.

Healthy Turkey Mini-Meatballs with Honey-Chipotle Glaze

I'm not much into New Year's resolutions ~ 
And although January is speeding by, the start of a new year seems to be a good a time as any to begin a change of lifestyle, yes?   Yes!
Usually I avoid stepping the the bathroom scale (can you say denial?!) Yes. But with trepidation I did step up, and you know what? The numbers staring back at me weren't nearly as dreadful as I thought they might be. Yay! My goal is to lose 20 pounds and I'll be very happy to be feeling better, more energetic and fit back into those 6/8's at the far corner of my closet, which haven't seen the light of day in far too long. :)
So I'm two weeks into a change of eating habits and feeling better already. 
Here's my plan:
To prepare and eat more "clean" type recipes ~  (Fresh, healthful, and lighter in calories and fat), while trying to reduce processed foods.  So far it's been easy, and no deprivation or feeling hungry at all.
This is a recipe which fits the criteria  ~ I tried and really liked it, you may like it too, I don't think anyone would reject it as being "diet" food because it's delicious ~ slightly spicy, slightly sweet and very satisfying.
The recipe as I originally found it in "Everyday Food" magazine ~ was for typical golf-ball size meatballs. But I'm more of a " snacky" kind of person, so I made them mini-size (about 1-inch in diameter) ~ perfect no-guilt party size munchies. Plus you get more of the yummy glaze per bite when you make them smaller!




The recipe is so simple . . . for the meatballs the ingredients are just lean ground turkey, minced onion, minced garlic, and salt and pepper, gently mixed together.  No breadcrumbs or eggs necessary ~ but you could certainly add any herbs you like ~ thyme, sage, etc. I didn't bother this time and they were perfectly flavorful.
Once the meat is mixed form into any size meatballs you like, brown them in a tiny bit of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Place in a 375˚F oven for a few minutes. 



While the meatballs are in the oven chop a tablespoon or two of chipotle peppers  in adobo sauce (from the can), and mix with 2 Tablespoons of honey, heat and stir together to blend and warm. Remove the meatballs from the oven, pour the glaze over and swirl the pan to coat evenly. Allow to simmer for just a moment or two on the stovetop to reduce the glaze slightly, then serve and enjoy.
Only 149 calories per portion, 7 grams fat, 17 g protein and wonderful flavor, too.
If you would like a printable copy of the recipe please click HERE.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend everyone!
xo~m.

Ginger Beef or Chicken Patties with Lime Noodle Salad

In my previous post  I mentioned that sometimes even in the midst of a certain season I like to switch things out; for example right now lighter colors on the table rather than the traditional oranges, golds and browns of Fall. And
I find the same goes for food in my world.

  At the beginning of colder weather we crave the traditional comfort foods that the season seems to call for.  Then after a couple of weeks of that kind of eating we're ready for something lighter and more colorful, something fresher tasting than long-simmered soups or stews.

So that's where this salad fits in ~ brighter flavors using fresh ingredients which are generally available year round.  In this salad there is a nice little mix of vegetables ~ quickly blanched snow peas, cherry tomato halves, scallions (0r slivered red onion), red bell pepper and a mix of fresh mint and/or cilantro. You could easily add thinly sliced celery, carrots, or jicama too.

The Asian-inspired lime dressing can be made mild or spicy, either way it enhances everything in the bowl-- the little meat patties (beef, chicken, turkey, or pork ~ your choice) plus the veggies and noodles. 

The meat mixture contains ginger, garlic and scallions, plus a couple of  readily available Asian ingredients not usually found in western meat patties.  (Oh, these are VERY good, and I would consider making them a little larger, served with Hoisin sauce and served up in lettuce leaf wrappers.) 

To assemble the salad I cook the noodles first, rinse and set aside. Then I prep the veggies and toss them with the noodles. The dressing goes together in moments and can be tossed with the noodles and veggies as the meat is cooking.

The patties are quickly pan fried so I do that step last as the warm meat provides a wonderful contrast to the cool vegetables and noodles.   Place on top of the veg-noodle mix and garnish with additional scallions, and mint or cilantro.

This time for the noodles I used Barilla whole grain very thin spaghetti,cooked al dente, but you can also use rice noodles (cellophane noodles) which require no cooking, just a brief soak in hot water.

If you like Asian flavors, I think you'll like this noodle salad very much ~ if you would like the recipe, you can find a printable copy on the Once Upon a Plate recipe blog.

Click HERE.

Tamale Pie ~ Beef, Chicken, Turkey or Veggie

Maybe your mom or grandma made this for you when you were growing up?








Mine did.

And my mom added a secret ingredient which made her Tamale Pie stand out from the rest. I'll tell you about it below.

Usually using ground beef as the filling ~ but there is no reason you cannot use chicken, turkey (either ground, or cooked and shredded) or vegetables if you prefer.

This time I made it with lean ground beef and lean ground pork. But you might keep this in mind because it's a great way to utilize some of that leftover cooked turkey from Thanksgiving.

The other ingredients are diced yellow/brown onions, corn (I use frozen), tomatoes - canned diced or stewed (older versions of the recipe just call for tomato sauce but I like the chunks), fresh minced garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin. Bell pepper (or diced, canned Ortega chilis), and Salt & Pepper.

Add chili flakes if you like, but I like this recipe mildly flavored.

My mom's secret ingredient?

A teaspoon or just a little more of cider or white vinegar stirred into the filling during the last few moments of simmering. It piques the flavors beautifully.

Some incorporate beans into the filling; kidney, black beans or even chili beans work well.

Oh, and I forgot to mention black olives. Nothing fancy, just good old California black olives from the can; they are mild and don't compete with the other ingredients.

Some versions sandwich the filling between the cooked cornmeal, but my mom always placed the prepared filling in a deep casserole then topped with the cooked cornmeal with no bottom layer of cornmeal, and that's the way I prefer it. I used finely ground Italian polenta this time and made individual size servings.

Then baked until hot and bubbling, you can sprinkle with grated cheese during the last few minutes if you like. Serve additional grated cheese, and sour cream at the table if you like.

Can be made a few hours ahead and refrigerated until time to bake.

My favorite tips for Tamale Pie~

• Make it as mild or as spicy as you like.
• Don't be locked into the ground beef version; you can use ground chicken or turkey.
• You can also use leftovers ~ shredded beef, pork, chicken or turkey, or make it all vegetable.
• Add beans if you like
• And most importantly; you'll probably want to ramp up the seasonings for todays tastes.
• Don't forget the cumin! :)
  
• Mom's Secret Ingredient?
• Stir in about a teaspoon (or a smidge more) of white or apple cider vinegar to the filling ingredients at the end of simmer time.

It is one of those casseroles that once you make it, you truly don't need a recipe ~ but here are a couple of links to recipes just in case you've never made this before. I always increase the seasonings because we prefer this casserole to be very flavorful.

Tamale Pie recipes:

Cooks.com

About.com

Simply Recipes

Spicy Asian-Style Mini Pork or Chicken Burgers with Sweet Chili Slaw

Living over 10 miles from the nearest full-size grocery store, a quick trip to the store is not an option. So I often devise recipes made with ingredients on hand to save a trip to town. Such was the case with this recipe. It received 5 out of 5 stars at my house!
(I love when that happens.)

I had made some of the One Hour Sandwich Buns, mini-size and sprinkled with black sesame seeds, intending to create some kind of an Asian-Style burger with what I had in the pantry and fridge.

I had some lean ground pork on hand and seasoned it with the following ingredients :
(Substitute lean ground chicken or turkey for the pork if you like)Finely diced Granny Smith applePanko crumbsSoy SauceLemon juice & zestFresh CilantroScallionsFinely grated fresh gingerMinced GarlicWhite PepperHot Chili Sauce
Mixed together, formed into mini-burgers, then chilled the patties thoroughly before cooking.



The sandwich spread is simply mayonnaise blended with Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to taste.
While the burgers were cooking, I finely shredded cabbage and mixed with a little Sweet Chili Sauce (from the bottle), then added minced cilantro and scallions.
I topped with chopped cashews ~ but peanuts could be substituted if you like.At the table I offered additional cilantro leaves, Sriracha, Sweet Chili Sauce, and dark, flavorful Sesame Oil to drizzle if any one wanted extra condiments.They were absolutely delicious, and I will make them again for sure. I am pleased to share the recipe with you ~ It is available on my recipe blog ... HERE. If you try them, I hope you love them too.Thank you for stopping by today.

Creamy Turkey and Vegetable Soup with Herb Dumplings

It's not pretty.

But what this soup lacks in good looks, it more than compensates for in flavor.

Drop dumplings are my favorite because that's the kind we always had in my family. I don't add dumplings to soups or stews very often but the chillier, damp weather seems to call out for a revved up, more substantial soup and this one is perfect.
Since I don't make them very often, when I do I want them to be perfect; light and not doughy, and very flavorful. Like these I made recently ~ fresh herbs (thyme and a little sage), with plenty of freshly minced parsley and freshly ground black pepper.


It's a once in a while indulgence that tastes soo good!If you would like a printable copy of how to make it, pleasevisit my recipe blog; HERE.Thank you for coming by today!