Italian Penicillin Soup

 

 

I wasn't feeling well a few weeks ago so I made this soup. It's my favorite thing to eat when I'm under the weather. It's so easy to make and it's delicious. I served it with a simple kale salad. 

Italian Penicillin Soup
 
1 yellow onion
3 large carrots
2 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic
Parmesan rind
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
Parmesan
Orzo (traditionally made with pastina but I like Orzo)

Hemp seeds (optional)
 
Cut the onion, carrots and celery into large chunks and throw into a large soup pot with garlic cloves and parmesan rind. Cover with chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover slightly and cook for 45 minutes. When almost done, cook orzo pasta (or pastina). After soup cooks for 45 minutes, remove parmesan rind and toss. Strain out the veggies with a slotted spoon or colander and add to a blender with a tiny bit of liquid. Blend until smooth, then return to the pan with the broth. Season with salt and pepper. 
 
In a bowl, place a little scoop of orzo and top with soup. Add freshly grated parmesan and hemp seeds if you want a little extra protein. 

Kale salad
 
Kale
Sliced almonds, toasted
Freshly grated parmesan
Micro broccoli
 
Dressing
Garlic clove, through press
Apple cider vinegar
Honey
Dijon
Olive oil 
Salt and pepper

Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs

Photo credit: Jessica Burns

My friend Meredith made Ina's Roasted Salmon with Green Herbs for a small dinner party one night and it was delicious. She served with Ina's orzo salad (minus the shrimp) and crab strudel as the appetizer. Amazing dinner. 

I made the salmon last night for a friend and it turned out great. Quick and easy. I served with Marly's Green Bean & Kale Salad. Starter appetizer was a version of this spread - crostinis, good mozzarella, roasted tomatoes (2 kinds), basil and prosciutto. Perfect dinner for two.

Great New Salad Recipe

Photo credit: 101 Cookbooks

Last night I had red butter lettuce in the fridge but no plan for a salad. I had some toasted almonds and Kalamatas left over from my orzo pasta and an orange so I did a little googling and came across this recipe for a Butter Lettuce Sunshine Salad. I used her dressing, minus the parmesan and voila, a delicious new salad. This makes more than enough dressing so you'll have some for the next night too.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Orange, Almonds and Kalamata Olives

red butter lettuce
orange slices, torn into pieces
sliced almonds, toasted
red onion, sliced paper thin
kalamata olives, cut in half

Dressing

Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 T minced shallot
1 T white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Quick & Easy

My daughter doesn't like any type of pasta with red sauce (is she crazy?) so I usually pull some noodles out and make her some variation of our meal. Last night I was making Toasted Orzo with Chicken, Kalamata Olives and Feta so I came up with this version sans red sauce. I thought it was quite good and will make it again for the whole family next time.

Toasted Orzo with Chicken, Kalamata Olives, Toasted Almonds and Parm

3 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 cup orzo pasta *
2 1/2 cups water
1 Rapunzel brand vegetable bouillon cube (no salt version)
2 T minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 chicken breast, cubed (I buy 1 or 2 grilled chicken strips from PCC)
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
1 t fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
freshly ground pepper
feta, optional

Put 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add orzo pasta and saute for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Once it starts to brown a little bit, add water and vegetable bouillon cube (breaking apart as you sprinkle it in). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle with some salt. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed (10 minutes or so), stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, combine 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a second pan over medium heat. Add shallot and saute for a few minutes. Add garlic and saute until it starts to sizzle. Add kalamata olives, chicken, parsley and some pepper. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Once orzo pasta is completely cooked (you may have to add a little more stock or water if it's not cooked all the way and give it a few more minutes), add 1T butter and parmesan. Stir to combine. Add chicken mixture and toasted almonds. Stir to combine. Check seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed, and serve.

* Orzo pasta usually comes in 12-16oz bags. If you want to use a whole bag, increase the other measurements.

30 Minute Meal

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Try my new recipe for Toasted Orzo with Chicken, Kalamata Olives and Feta along with a Kale Caesar for a quick 30 minute meal. I just updated the orzo recipe so check back if you already printed it. 

A Kale Caesar can be as simple as this:

Kale - rinsed, stems removed, chopped
Good croutons (I like PCC)
Good Caesar dressing (I like PCC's Vegan Caesar)
1/2-1 lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly gound pepper
Shredded parmesan

Healthy and delicious!


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Quick & Easy Dinner: Toasted Orzo with Chicken, Kalamata Olives and Feta

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I was craving chicken tonight but didn't have the energy to cook raw chicken and didn't want a big hunk of chicken on my plate either. I wanted it as flavoring, and not as the main dish. I ran to PCC and picked up some of their grilled chicken breasts, some orzo, kalamata olives and feta. Voila - I had myself all I needed for an experimental pasta. It wasn't fancy or incredible, but it was really good, fast and easy. And it was good enough that as my husband polished off his third serving he said, "Honey, you can make this any night!"

I served this with a simple green salad for a lazy Sunday supper that hit the spot.

Toasted Orzo with Chicken, Kalamata Olives and Feta

2 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 cup orzo pasta
2 1/2 cups water
1 Rapunzel brand vegetable bouillon cube (no salt version)
2 T minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 chicken breast, cubed (I buy 1 or 2 grilled chicken strips from PCC)
1/3-1/2 cup tomato sauce (any jarred sauce will do)
1/2-3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese (I like sheeps milk feta)
1 T fresh parsley, minced
freshly ground pepper

Put 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add orzo pasta and saute for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Once it starts to brown a little bit, add water and vegetable bouillon cube (breaking apart as you sprinkle it in). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle with some salt. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed (10 minutes or so), stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, combine 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a second pan over medium heat. Add shallot and saute for a few minutes. Add garlic and saute until it starts to sizzle. Add tomato sauce, kalamata olives, chicken, parsley and some pepper. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Once orzo pasta is completely cooked (you may have to add a little more stock or water if it's not cooked all the way and give it a few more minutes), add chicken-tomato mixture and stir to combine. Stir in feta and let it melt to create a creamier consistency. Allow feta to melt into pasta and flavors to mix. Check seasoning and serve.

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Soupaholic

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Today my friend Melissa mentioned that she's on the hunt for some good soup recipes so I thought I'd post my favorites (in no particular order). These are all worth giving a try. And if you have any favorite soups that I should add to my repertoire, please share!

On another note, one of these days I will figure out how to do a recipe index so you can easily find recipes on the blog. For now, if you're looking for something you can use the search box in the upper left corner.

Mexican Chicken Soup, Ina Garner

Tomato Soup with Pancetta, Giada de Laurentiis

Parker's Split Pea Soup, Ina Garner

Chicken Noodle Soup, Tyler Florence

Rustic Cabbage Soup, 101 Cookbooks

Escarole and Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs, Epicurious

Curried Butternut Squash Soup w/ Coconut Milk, Over Cocktails

Lentil Soup with Chorizo & Spinach, Whitney

Lentil Soup, Over Cocktails

Tomato Soup w/ Poached Eggs & Croutons, Over Cocktails

Avgolemono Soup, Over Cocktails

Tomato Soup, Over Cocktails

Tomato Soup, Mixed Greens

Cheese Tortellini Soup w/ Veggies, Over Cocktails

Posole, Martha Stewart

Chunky Chicken Chili, Rachael Ray

Happy Birthday to My "Snookies"

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My baby girl turned two. I can't believe it. Where does the time go?!

We hosted a small family BBQ to celebrate. I wanted to cook but I also didn't want to take on too much and be stressed on her birthday. I feel that the best birthday gift to my daughter is to be fun and present on her birthday rather than stressed out which is how I normally get when I entertain. So to avoid some stress, I ordered the tzatziki, roasted tomatoes, Greek salad and orzo salad from a local Greek restaurant. I ordered the cake as well so all I had to make was the chicken (so easy), the Greek fries, and the appetizer. Easy prep and stress-free cooking before and during the party. I only wish I had more time with my girl and all the guests. Parties always go by too quickly in my opinion.

Appetizers

Ceci Bruschetta

Meat & Cheese Plate

Watermelon

Dinner

Chicken Souvlaki Gyro Style

- served with warmed pita, tzatziki, parsley, red onion, roasted tomatoes

Greek Village Salad (purchased from Vios Cafe in Seattle)

- tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, green pepper, kalamata olives, feta, oregano, red wine vinaigrette

Greek Orzo Salad (purchased from Vios Cafe in Seattle)

- with eggplant, olives, feta and sundried tomatoes

Greek Fries

- with garlic, herbs, lemon juice and feta cheese

Dessert

Birthday Cake (from My Sisters & Me in Seattle) & Ice Cream

- organic sour cream cake with lemon curd and raspberry filling

Escarole & Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs

As I've said before, I am obsessed with soup. I could eat soup every single day for lunch so long as it's a hearty one and there's plenty of it! It's both healthy and satisfying. What could be better? Actually, I know what could be better than me eating soup ... watching my 15 month old gobble it up. I love seeing vegetables go into her mouth without coming right back out. Victory!

I tried this recipe for Escarole & Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs from Bon Appetite and it was good. I doctored it up a bit to add more flavor. It's not a masterpiece soup but it is definitely something I will make throughout the winter to mix it up a bit. It's also a great way to get more leafy greens into your diet.

Escarole & Orzo Soup with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs
Adapted from Bon Appetite

For the meatballs:
1 large egg
2 T water
¼ cup plain dried breadcrumbs
12 oz lean ground turkey
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ t salt
¼ t ground pepper

For the soup:
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 celery stalk with leaves (whole)
6 cups chicken stock (I used 4 cups low sodium and 2 cups regular)
4 cups water
¾ cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about ½ of one head)

Whisk egg and 2 T water in medium bowl to blend. Mix in breadcrumbs. Let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; gently stir to blend. Using wet hands, shape turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on baking sheet; cover and chill 30 minutes.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sauté onions on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add carrots and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the chicken stock, water, bay leaf, celery stalk, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and add orzo. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes. Add turkey meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in chopped escarole and simmer until turkey meatballs, orzo, and escarole are tender, about 15 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Make sure turkey meatballs are cooked through. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan.