Tortellini Soup

This is Recipe #2 of the January "Soup Series."  It is one of our family favorites (again) from my Aunt Kathy and it is sooo good and simple.  What I love most about soups/stews is that yes there is a lot of variety and fun you can have with making them, but most of all you use very few dishes, making clean up a cinch.  

I made a few changes in the recipe including the addition of pancetta, using both beef and veggie broth, a jalapeño, and a few other spices to add some more flavor.  Otherwise this recipe is perfect and will feed an army (ok well 4 easily), I made the full batch and have a bunch of leftovers (YAY!)  Enjoy this Just Good Food with a good loaf of bread and some fresh parsley and parmesan to top off the soup!

Recipe:

1 lb of italian pork sausage (spicy or mild)

4 cloves of garlic

3 oz pancetta (chopped bite size)

1/2 cup red wine (better than water obviously)

5 1/2 cups split between beef and veggie broth

A 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

A 8 oz can of tomato sauce

3 carrots (peeled and chopped bite size)

2 zucchini (sliced and halved)

1 green bell pepper (chopped bite size)

1 jalapeño (optional, tiny pieces)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp red pepper flakes

sprig of fresh basil leaves

S&P

8 oz cheese tortellini

olive oil

parmesan (grated)

fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot, pour in some olive oil and set at medium heat and brown the garlic gloves and add the sausage links and chopped pancetta (remove the casing but don't break apart the sausage just yet).  Once the meat is browned, remove and chop into bite size pieces.  

To the pot, add the broth, wine, tomatoes, carrots, dried basil, oregano, S&P to taste, tomato sauce, and the meat once it's chopped.  Bring this to a boil and let simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes (you want the veggies fairly soft but not mushy).  Drain the fat and stir in the other ingredients (zucchini, jalapeño, green pepper, and tortellini and fresh basil leaves)

Then simmer covered for 20-25 minutes (wait for the noodles to cook and everything to come together).  Don't simmer too long otherwise you will reduce the liquid too much, remove basil leaves when done.  Sprinkle with parmesan, S&P and Serve!

Tomato Soup

January starts the beginning of a variety of comforting, hearty, and healthy soups and stews!  Ok it may not be in the negatives yet or even freezing yet but winter will be upon us before we know it.  My mom makes this soup and is one of our family favorites; from a vegan cookbook called the Fexitarian Table and you will love it too. 

The soup is not a traditional "American" homemade tomato soup with milk and lots of tomatoes, instead this recipes requires lots and lots of onions (4 cups ahh!)  but surprisingly does not have a oniony taste (it tricks you kind of like French onion soup).  

This soup is also very easy however, requires a few kitchen tools including a food processor or blender and fresh organic ingredients (don't try and prove me wrong because you will be sorry).  Otherwise this just takes time, about an hour or so, but it's well worth it.

Enjoy this Just Good Food and serve soup with a nice loaf of french bread, and make it fancy with some cheve goat cheese on top (means French) and make a big batch because you'll want it over and over again!

Recipe:

3-4 white onions (about 4 cups thinly sliced)

4 cloves of garlic (peeled only)

1 medium carrot

2 Tbsp tomato paste

28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice

2 cups vegetable stock (use veggie stock, will have a richer flavor)

2 2-inch strips of orange zest 

A sprig of fresh sage

1/3 cup olive oil

Sea Salt

1/2-1 ted red pepper flakes

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium high heat add add the onions and a pinch of sea salt and cook until onions are softened (about 5 minutes).  Continue to stir the onions during this process so you don't brown them.  Add the garlic cloves, peeled carrot and red pepper flakes lower the heat to medium low and cover.  Let sit for about 15 minutes until the veggies are nice and juicy but keep an eye as you don't want the veggies to dry out (if so add a little water).

Next, add the tomato paste and cook into the onions for a couple of minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes (juice and all), vegetable stock, orange zest, and sage and let simmer (medium low heat) and let sit for about 15 minutes and let flavors blend together.  

Remove the pot from the heat and discard the orange zest and sage (make sure to do this!).  This is when you need the food processor (or blender), as you will need to puree the soup in batches (it won't all fit in one batch).  Puree until smooth and season with more salt and fresh black pepper.  Reheat before serving and remember the crostini to go with it.  

Serve with red pepper flakes sprinkled on top and a little bit of orange zest for presentation.

  

Sausage Rigatoni with Broccoli Rabe

I discovered this recipe from another blog I follow here.  This lady named the blog after her husband because she cooks him meals and he grades them (Dream Job!!). 

I know I put a lot of pasta recipes on here but they are easy, delicious and different.  This recipe uses broccoli rabe which may be new to many of you but don't be scared because it is much better than broccoli and intensifies this meal quite a bit!  Enjoy this Just Good Food!

My choice of pasta is rigatoni because it's little ridges trap the sauce but you can use penne or whatever you have lying around (spaghetti however would not be the same).  

Coming soon!!!  Homemade pasta recipe (very easy you only need 4 ingredients!!) and I got a pasta machine for Christmas and am very excited to use it!!

P.S.  Over January I plan on doing a themed month and will begin cooking even more for my friends and get their honest input on meals.

Recipe:  Serves 2 with leftovers

1 lb italian sausage (spicy or sweet) ground

4 garlic cloves

1 lb broccoli rabe (stringer broccoli) blanched in water

12 oz rigatoni pasta

broccoli rabe water

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

olive oil (2 tbsp)

1 tbsp oregano

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

s&p

Directions: 

First how to blanch broccoli rabe: 

Rinse and dry the broccoli rabe and place in a deep sauce pan (a pot will work just fine) in COLD water (and only cover completely with water). 

 Heat water and bring to a simmer.  Once water begins bubbling take off heat immediately and take out broccoli rabe with tongs and place in cold water (SAVE THE BROCCOLI WATER!).  

Once the broccoli rabe has cooled (about 3 minutes) place on towel and pat dry.  Chop into 2 inch pieces and by the time this is done you should be adding it to     the sausage.

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta al dente, and heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat with the peeled and chopped garlic.  

Let the garlic fry slightly and add the italian sausage and ground with the garlic along with the oregano and red pepper flakes.  Once the meat is nearly cooked add the broccoli rabe pieces and continue cooking on medium heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste here.  

Once pasta is finished, drain and place back in the pot.  Add the meat and broccoli and leave on medium heat and add about a cup of the reserved broccoli rabe water (which you saved right???).  Let reduce for a minute and add cheese and fresh ground pepper and YOU ARE READY!

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm working on another post full of Just Good Food for today, but in the meantime, did you notice some changes on the blog? I added a recipe index on the right so it's easier to look for a recipe when you're in a hurry.

Hope you're enjoying some Just Good Food lately!

Chicken French

This recipe is similar to parmesan chicken, but instead of a marinara sauce, a rich lemony sauce is substituted. I really like this recipe because it is easy and so flavorful (the lemon juice combined with rich stock and white wine is perfect).

I found this recipe from Tyler Florence but modified it by adding capers (for both a nice salty flavor and color), adding a little heat and some curry powder.

Before cooking, you want to be sure to pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness so it is extra tender and juicy.  You also want to season the flour plenty with salt and pepper - otherwise the chicken will taste bland.  

That's it, very simple and great comfort food (who said you had to add a ton of fat to make something comfort food).  Enjoy this Just Good Food, maybe over pasta or orzo rice!

Recipe:  Serves 4

4 skinless chicken breasts 

AP flour for dredging plus more for thickening (at least 1/2 cup)

2 whole eggs + water for wash

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Rinds of half a lemon

2 tbsp capers

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

fresh parsley 

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick (and remember to wash the cutting board after raw meat has been on it). Put some flour in a shallow bowl and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper, the cayenne and the curry powder. Mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Heat the oil over medium flame in a large skillet until the oil is sizzling.

Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off (repeat twice for an extra tender crunch). When the oil is nice and hot, add the breasts and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden. Remove the chicken cutlets to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.

Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, and lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly and add the capers. Roll the butter in some flour and add it to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce (this is important otherwise the sauce will be lumpy if you just add it in).  Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. The longer you let sit, the thicker the sauce will be. If it thickens too much, add a spoonful of water. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Turkey Avocado Sandwich

Another delicious leftover quick meal to make but this isn't your ordinary turkey sandwich this could potentially get you making a 20 pound turkey just to have tons of leftovers.

This is all so simple, but it is important you use brie cheese (it is so good and the perfect match for this sandwich!).

There really isn't anything to it, you can change things around to your liking (like add bacon, or chipotle mayo or crustier bread) but stick to the brie and avocado and this sandwich will blow your mind!  Enjoy this Just Good Food!

Recipe:

6 oz of turkey breast
spicy mustard
2 oz of fresh brie cheese
2 slices of tomato
half an avocado sliced
2 slices sourdough bread
salt and pepper

Directions:

Bread is important, lightly toast it to add some crunch then broil the cheese on a slice of the bread.  ON the other slice, spread heavily with spicy mustard (or homemade chipotle mayo if you dare) and top with the warm turkey breast.

Slice a fresh tomato (if you can find one) (Green Bay has a store where they grow organic veggies inside all year along!).  Take an avocado and cut it in half the long way (check out this video if you aren't sure how to cut an avocado).  Spread those slices on top of the turkey breast as well as the tomato slices.  If you want to add some crisp fresh lettuce as well that will add a nice crunch.  Salt and pepper the tomatoes and eat.

Eggs in Purgatory

I don't know where the name comes from but I do know that it is delicious (there are many different flavors but they mesh well together) and it is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving.
This recipe isn't an ordinary leftover recipe it is something that you will have you making mashed potatoes every week just for the leftovers.
It is a potato pancake over a bed of marinara topped with a fried egg and shaved parmesan.  It's salty and savory all in one which makes for a very satisfying breakfast.
This entry begins a list of several Thanksgiving leftover recipes.  So stayed tuned for some lunch and dinner entries that will quickly empty your fridge of turkey, stuffing and all your other leftovers.  So Enjoy this Just Good Food and remember to reply back with any of your favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipes!


Recipe: (Serves 2)

1 cup mashed potatoes (chilled)
1/2 scrambled egg
2 fried eggs
1/2 cup marinara sauce
2 1/2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp bread crumbs (for added crunch)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper
olive oil
hot sauce

Directions:

First combine the mashers with all the other dry ingredients and spices.  Combine with an egg (I added about 1/2 of an egg just enough to keep everything together) and add a few dashes of hot sauce for an extra kick.

Hit a large frying pan with the oil over medium heat (you want it hot so the oil sizzles when the cakes are placed in it).  Shape the cakes and flatten to about 1/4 inch thick and fry for about 3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and have a crispy consistency throughout.  

While the cakes are frying, crack 2 eggs in the pan and fry (top them with shaved parmesan so it melts). When the cakes and eggs are done, warm the marinara and place first on a plate.  Top the sauce with the cakes followed by the egg.  

Grind fresh ground pepper on top and a few dashes of hot sauce and eat!