Italian Wedding Soup

The cold has really started to set in here in Chicago!  I grew up in Boston and went to school in Michigan, so I'm no stranger to the cold, but somehow 3 winters in DC has made me a little unprepared for the cold.  I've been wearing what was my DC-winter coat for two weeks already! And it's only getting colder from here...  I can't complain too much though, it is October.  But seriously, when did that happen? Wasn't it August like, yesterday?

A quick note: I wrote this post about a week ago, when it was still 40 or 50 degrees outside.  Since then, we've had a couple of really gorgeous days (today it might even hit 80!) and I have been so appreciative.  But there is no denying that the cold weather is coming back and there will be much more soup to come!!



Anyways, there is one great thing about the colder weather.  It's soup season!!!  I have been on a bit of a mini meatball kick for a few weeks now.  It started when I had a sudden urge to make rigatoni with mini meatballs a few weeks ago (and yeah, that was amazing) and is continuing with this soup.  The only thing I don't like about mini meatballs is rolling all of them.  It takes forever and my hands get so dried out with meat.  If you have kids, this is where I recommend bringing them into the kitchen and putting them to work!! (Or sending them over to me, I'll put them to work! Just be sure to take them home with you after, please.)



I never used to be a huge kale fan, but I like it a lot in this soup!  If you buy it at Trader Joe's, it's already washed and perfectly cut for this soup. However, they give you more than you need in a bag, so use only like half a bag.  It wilts down, but not so much.  Just use your best judgement.



The first soup of the season was a tasty one!  The Monkey Scientist said, "That's a good soup!"  I liked that it had so many components - vegetables, pasta, and savory meatballs.  It is leaps and bounds above the canned Italian wedding soup, which in my opinion isn't even worth eating.  If you like this soup, be sure to check out my Mini Chicken Meatball soup.  It's similar and delicious in it's own way!

Italian Wedding Soup

adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

12 c low-sodium chicken broth (I made my own!)
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tbsp (about 3 cloves) minced garlic, divided
1 bunch (half TJ's bag) kale, stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips
1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5-6 dashes worcestershire sauce
1 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 c ditalini pasta (or other small shape)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line 2 large baking sheets with foil. Brush with olive oil.
2. In a large Dutch oven, combine chicken broth, carrots, garlic, and kale. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower and simmer 30-40 minutes until the carrots are tender.
3. Combine the cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and worcestershire in a medium bowl.  Add meat and combine with your hands but don't overmix.  Roll into 1" balls and line along the cooking sheet.  Drizzle over the top of the meatballs with olive oil.  Bake 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. When the carrots are tender and the meatballs are still cooking, add the pasta to the Dutch oven and cook 10 minutes (or according to package instructions).  Turn off the heat and, once cooked, add the meatballs to the soup.
5.  Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Kicked-up Meatloaf

I am so sorry! I wrote up this post a long time ago and realized I never posted it for you!! And now I've made you wait allll this time without a new post.  Shame on me.

To be honest, I wasn't so excited about this recipe, so I guess that's what led to my hesitation in posting it.  When I have a recipe I totally love - like buttery cloverleaf rolls - I post it right that night. But this one was just, eh.  I still figured it might appeal to some of you.



My favorite part of this meatloaf was the addition of mushrooms.  I'd never put mushrooms in my meatloaf before, but I absolutely loved them.  I used baby portabellas, which were absolutely perfect. I'm usually not that into veggies in my meatloaf (which is why I left out the carrots - I'm not into cooked carrots at all) but mushrooms are meaty enough that they work well.



I was also intrigued by the step where you soak the bread crumbs in milk.  I'd never done that before.  I'm not sure what exactly it did, but maybe it made a juicier meatloaf.  I wished it had a bit more egg - I know it's weird but I actually love an eggy meatloaf like my college roommate used to make.



My biggest issue with this recipe happened once it was cooked.  As soon as I sliced it, it was almost impossible to get a nice piece out of the dish.  It kept falling apart.  It tasted fine, but it wasn't exactly a gorgeous presentation.  I think it's all the lentils that made it not turn into a loaf quite as much as meat typically does.



Overall, not a bad recipe. It's nowhere near my favorite meatloaf recipe, but it is definitely a different and fairly delicious dinner.  It's especially good with a little sriracha on top (you know that's how the Monkey Scientist ate it!), smothered in ketchup, or even with soy sauce.  If you've cut out red meat and didn't want to go all turkey, it's certainly a good alternative to traditional meat loaf.



Kicked up Meatloaf
from ELR on Perry's Plate

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 cup cooked black or green lentils
1 large carrot, diced (I actually left this out)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/2 T olive oil
1/4th tsp black pepper
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
glaze:
2 T ketchup
1 T pure maple syrup (I was out so I used honey)
1 T balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the diced onions and saute for about six minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the carrot and garlic and cook for three minutes. Add the chopped mushroom and cook for another five minutes or so, until the mushroom has turned soft and all the veggies are nice and juicy.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add the cooked lentils, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well.
4. In a small bowl, combine the milk and panko bread crumbs. Let sit for three minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb a little of the milk. Add to veggie mixture.
5. Add ground turkey and beaten egg and mix well. It’s easiest here to use your hands. Transfer to a greased loaf pan and press down to smooth top.
6. Combine the ingredients for the glaze and pour over top of meatloaf. Spread with a spoon to cover the top.
7. Bake for 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees (mine too much longer).

Skinny Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce

With the holiday season just around the bend, it's time to kick those healthy habits into high gear! It takes lot of work for me to focus on eating healthy and exercising as the weather turns colder and the opportunities for eating junk pile up.



This weekend, we took advantage of a gorgeous sunny day and went hiking on Bear Island in Potomac, MD.  We ended up doing the most challenging path, Billy Goat Trail A, which surprised us both in length and challenges!  It wasn't so much climbing uphill but tricky footing and small ledges that kept us on our toes!



Of course one of the best places to start a healthy kick is in the kitchen, so we've been trying to make healthy meals when we cook at home.  I loved this recipe because it is a classic comfort food but healthified.  Even though it's been reduced in the calorie and fat departments, it's still loaded with meat and cheese so it remains a filling dinner.



We really enjoyed this recipe.  I ended up eating it for lunch and dinner a few days in the row.  I enjoyed getting my cheesy kick without the guilt of the full fat version.  Even the Monkey Scientist was able to fill up on this for dinner.  Plus I love when you put pasta in the oven and it gets a little crispy around the edges.  It's one of my favorite things :)



Skinny Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce
from Gina's Skinny Taste

Ingredients:
27 (9 oz) jumbo pasta shells
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
32 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper
2 cups fat free or part skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
16 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed well
8 oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions:
1. Boil water and cook shells according to package directions, make sure to make them al dente.
2. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in oil. Add turkey and salt and brown until cooked, breaking up in small pieces. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and basil, then simmer on low, covered, about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan.
4. Once shells are cooked and cool, fill each shell with (about 2 heaping tbsp) cheese mixture and place on a large baking dish, or two smaller dishes, covering the bottom of the dish with a little sauce.
5. Top shells with half of the sauce, cover with foil and bake 40 minutes; uncover foil and bake 5 more minutes. Serve with additional sauce on top.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers with Homemade Buns

I love ground turkey.  Not only is it tasty and healthy, it's cheap!  I bought all-natural, 97/3 ground turkey for LESS THAN $3 today!

Right before leaving work I very quickly had to find something to make for dinner.  These burgers seemed like a quick and easy dinner.  I am not a big feta fan so I substituted it for  goat cheese, which I LOVE.  I don't even know why they make cheese from cows when they can make it from goats!

I have decided recently to give up purchasing bread.  Most companies use high fructose corn syrup and other un-natural ingredients - so it is much more healthy to make it myself and not that difficult!

These buns were easy to make, but I think I added too much flour.  I'll have to try this recipe again to give it a fair shot.

The burgers on the other hand were DELISH!  I learned from Bobby Flay to salt and pepper the outside of the burger instead of mixing the seasonings inside.  It helps create a nice crust on the outside of the burger.  The goat cheese make the burgers creamy and yum.

I also added caramelized onions, ketchup, and Chulula on top of the burger.  It was a perfect dinner after today's run! 

 

Spinach and Goat Cheese Turkey Burgers
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run 
Ingredients:
1.3 lb ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 box frozen spinach (about half of a bag), defrosted and squeezed dry
3 oz goat cheese
1 tsp salt + pinch of pepper
Directions:
Mix together all ingredients with your hands and form eight small patties. Cook patties in a greased skillet for about 6 minutes per side, or until meat is completely cooked. Serve on toasted buns with extra cheese, hot sauce, sliced onion, lettuce and ketchup.

Homemade Burger Buns
from creationsbykara 
Ingredients: 

• ¾ cups Hot Water
• 2 Tablespoons Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 whole Egg
• 2-¾ cups Flour - half AP, half whole wheat (I used much less and probably could have used less)

Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients with about 1 1/2 cups of the flour in a large bowl. I use my Bosch. Beat till smooth. Add enough flour to make a dough that is slightly sticky, but doesn’t stick to your fingers. Knead for about 5 minutes.
Let dough rest for a couple of minutes, then divide into 8 portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet and press down with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. Let rise till doubled. (Mine took about 30 minutes, but it depends on the temperature of your kitchen.) Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about 15-18 minutes. Cut in half and serve, for the yummiest hamburger you’ve ever had.
Note: If you want sesame seeds on top, take them out of the oven after 10 minutes of baking. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Then return them to the oven for the remaining 5-8 minutes.