Hearty Tuscan Style Soup

The cold weather is upon us and nothing warms me up more than a hot bowl of soup.  Over the years I've always said I was terrible at making soup, but recently, that's changed.  I'm not sure if it was just good old willpower, or if the soup fairy has blessed me, but I'll take it!  I've been on a roll this year and have found quite a few tasty soups to warm me up on these cold days.  I even found a really nice spring veggie and meatball soup that I will share too, just not today.  :)

This soup is especially hearty and decadent.  To me, it's a great alternative to a Sunday roast or meatballs and sauce.  The nice part is it comes together quickly, and wouldn't be too hard to make midweek.  Especially if you use store bought, fresh gnocchi, like I did!  Even though I'm from NJ, I'm not Italian, so I truly appreciate a lot of the fresh pasta options these days.  I never grew up making pasta from scratch, so having someone do it for me is splendid.  Plus, no one has to know you didn't make them from scratch!  Also, this recipe gives me the opportunity to make my homemade croutons.  They're really simple and will compliment just about any soup, stew or salad.  I make these ALL the time, and they taste SO much better than anything you can buy in a bag.  

All in all, this soup was just what I needed today...and now I'm stuffed!


Hearty Tuscan Style Soup

Ingredients 
2 Yellow Onions
2 Large Carrots
2 Cloves of Garlic Minced
6 Sprigs of Thyme
1/4 c Chopped Basil
1/2 c Chopped Parsley
1/2 Bag Baby Spinach Roughly Chopped
2- 14.5 oz Cans of Diced Tomatoes with Juice
1- 48 oz Organic Chicken Broth (low sodium)
3/4 c Half & Half (Fat free)
1/2 c Grated Parmesan or Romano
1 lb Fresh Gnocchi
1 1/2 lb Meatballs*
Salt & Pepper
1 Baguette

Directions
Heat 2 T olive oil over medium high heat.  Sweat the onions and carrots until onions are soft and translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add fresh garlic, thyme and basil.  Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic speaks.  Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, remove thyme stems.  Add cooked meatballs, gnocchi and half of the grated cheese.  Cook until gnocchi is tender. (Should be 3 minutes, if fresh)  Wilt in spinach and add half & half.  Turn the heat down and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes.  Finish with fresh parsley and additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Garnish with additional parsley, homemade croutons**, and extra cheese!

Enjoy!

*Easy Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs Meatloaf Mix (pork, veal & beef)
1 Egg
3/4 c Breadcrumbs
1/2 c Grated Peccorino Romano Cheese
1/4 c Ricotta Cheese
1/3 c Chopped Fresh Parsley
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/2 Medium Onion Chopped
Salt & Pepper

Heat oven to 400'  Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Scoop and shape equal size meatballs.  I use my MediumScoop to keep them as even as possible.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.  (Depending on your size of meatball)  Use in soups, sauce, or other dishes.

**Homemade Croutons
1 Baguette
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Heat oven to 400' Slice and cube the baguette.  Place on baking sheet.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake for 5 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.  (Store in an airtight container, or plastic bag, for up to 3 days)

Skillet Eggs over Country Hash

Fall is in full swing and nothing makes me want to use my cast iron skillet more.  It's an essential for every kitchen and it's such a versatile piece.  You can fry bacon, cook up some nachos, bake bread, or even whip up a delicious dessert.  All in the same pan!  Maybe not at the same time though...

A few notes on care of your skillet:
-Season regularly with oil (or bacon grease, which is more my style)
-Don't ever scrub and wash this pan with soap! (I will wash the outside at times, if it's super greasy)
-Hot water and a scraper work the best for cleaning
-When you wash, DRY it right away.  It will rust if you leave it wet!

Okay, back to the food...

This recipe can be adapted to fit any pallet.  Swap out the spinach for kale.  Leave out the bacon. Use green beans, zucchini, or any other vegetable you have laying around.  It's really just a great guide to a one pot wonder for breakfast or brunch.

Also, this is a great opportunity to go nuts with cheese.  You can really use whatever you like.  I just happened to have some truffle cheddar from Trader Joe's, so I couldn't resist.

Skillet Eggs over Country Hash 

Ingredients 
4 Slices "Thick Cut" Bacon
6 Purple Potatoes (small)
4 cups baby spinach
1 Red Pepper
3 cloves garlic
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Truffle Cheddar
Parsley & Hot Sauce for garnish (optional)

Directions
Prep ingredients.  Thin slice potatoes (I use the "2" on my Simple Slicer), thin slice pepper, mince garlic and grate the cheese.

Cook bacon in cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Drain on paper towels and set aside.  Pour out all but 2T of the bacon drippings.  Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook turning frequently for 5 to 8 minutes.  The time will vary based on how thick you cut the potatoes.  Add peppers and cook another 5 minutes until softened.  Once the potatoes are browning and the peppers are soft, add the garlic.  Cook until the garlic speaks (you smell it), about 30 seconds. Add spinach in large handfuls and slowly wilt into the hash.  You may have to do this in a few rounds.  Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oven to 400 degrees,  Make 4 small, shallow wells in the top of the hash for the eggs.  Crack an egg into each well. (Make sure the eggs aren't on the bottom of the skillet. You want the hash to support the egg.)  Top eggs with half of the grated cheese, salt and pepper.  Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until whites are set.  Start checking, by shaking the skillet, after 6 minutes.

Once the eggs are set, top with additional cheese, and serve.  Spice it up with some hot sauce, if desired.  Some fresh parsley is also a great garnish.

Enjoy!

Helpful Tools:
Simple Slicer from The Pampered Chef
Garlic Press (if you aren't a fan of chopping garlic)
Cast Iron Skillet from Williams Sonoma

Pretzel, Rolo, Pecan Bites!

Well, we didn't get blasted with snow.  Thanks for nothing, Juno!!

Even so, in preparation for the storm, I wanted to make sure I had plenty of snacks on hand.  So, I made one of my favorite treats.  It's salty, it's sweet, and it's nutritious!  Okay, maybe not nutritious, but they are topped with pecans...and those are good for you.  Right??  ;)

This recipe is an adaptation from one given to me by a friend.  She uses Hershey's kisses and M&M's with the pretzels.  Certainly a delicious option, but I love caramel and nuts!  You can really mix it up too...use kisses and marshmallows,  Rolos and your favorite nut...the possibilities are endless.

I would also recommend this to any mom!  Kids would love making these with you!  It really couldn't be easier and the cleanup is a breeze.

Pretzel, Rolo, Pecan Bites!

Ingredients:

1 Bag Pretzel Snaps

1 Bag Mini Rolos (or two bags)

1 Bag Whole Pecans

Directions:

Super simple!  Heat your oven to 200 degrees.  Lay your pretzels in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Place a Rolo on each pretzel.  Pop in the oven for 4 minutes.  They should be glistening, but still have their shape.  Remove them from the oven and press a pecan into each Rolo.  

You'll need to do this rather quickly.  Pop the tray in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Easy Cheese Danish

First thing, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!

So, being a new year and all, I thought I would start it off outside my comfort zone.  I'm not a baker by nature...not even close.  I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants, whip open the fridge, toss a few things together and voila!  A masterpiece!  It really just suits my life better than the precise art of baking.  If I do decide to bake, it has to be simple, fast, and Ashley proof.  Plus, it must be malleable to my mood.  Sometimes I don't want chocolate chips...even though that's extremely rare.

Luckily, this recipe is just a few simple ingredients, that come together and make something "homemade." I use quotes because the dough is clearly made by that cute, little Pillsbury Dough boy.  He's such a nice boy.  :)  If you aren't a fan of crescent dough, I imagine you could use a few sheets of filo dough with this recipe. Just make smaller logs; since it's more delicate and this filling is pretty creamy.  

If you are anything like me and you prefer recipes that can easily change to your taste, this one is for you!  It would be super simple to swap out the sugar for honey...orange juice for lemon...chocolate chips for dried/fresh fruit...and so on...

Make it to your taste and I'm sure it will be lovely!  GO NUTS! Ohh...nuts would be great in this too!!

Easy Cheese Danish

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury Crescent Roll Sheet
1 Package Cream Cheese Softened
1/2 c Orange Juice
1/4 c Whipping Cream (or milk)
1 T orange zest
2 T of powdered sugar
About a handful of Chocolate Chips
...and anything else you might want to add in!

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, orange juice, whipping cream, orange zest and sugar.  I used my mixer, just popped it on high, and let it whip away.  You want this filling creamy, but not runny.  It should be spreadable.

Once the filling is ready, roll out the crescent sheet onto a Large+Round+Stone from The Pampered Chef.  You can really use any of the stoneware for this recipe, but it needs to be large enough for the roll.  The Large+Bar+Pan would be perfect too.  Leave about a 4 inch strip in the center of the dough and make even slices in the dough, on both sides.  You can make them thick or thin, and really get creative here.  I just went with a simple approach...since it's really all I'm capable of...

Now spread the filling down the center of the dough and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Fold the sides over each other and press gently to secure.  You can certainly braid it or twist as well.  This would certainly make it more festive.

Bake for about 12 minutes and begin to check it; just because ovens vary.  You want the entire top golden brown and the bottom crispy.

Let this rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.  You want to cheese to cool off and not run our the sides when serving.  I used my Pizza+Cutter to slice up the danish and it worked really well.

Serve up and enjoy!