Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

This takes about 20 minutes total to prepare. I actually made it twice in one week when I first found it, and everyone in my family enjoyed it. Serve with crusty bread to complete your meal. This is great to have on hand if anyone in your family is sick or to take to a friend who is under the weather. You can always leave the dill out if you need something a little milder for that.

Adapted from original recipe from Bon Appetit.




Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 Leek (use only white and light green parts) chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery stalks chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cups of chicken stock (recipe for overnight chicken stock HERE)
1/2 cup orzo
1 rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 T dried tarragon
Juice of 2 large lemons
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Method:
Heat olive oil in medium stockpot. Add leeks and celery and sautee until softened...about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 9 minutes or however long the packaging says to cook until al dente. Meanwhile, take the chicken off the bone and dice into bite sized pieces. Once the orzo is cooked, take the soup off of the heat and add the chicken, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

This recipe screams fall comfort food. It comes together in a little over 30 minutes, so it's great for a weeknight meal, or serve it with a yummy salad for a delicious date night in. I will say that it's pretty rich, so you'll have leftovers (always a good thing in my book), or consider serving it as a side dish rather than a main course. Everything that I've tried from Skinnytaste is always popular with every member of our family. If you want to try some other recipes, I'd recommend any of her turkey chilis. They are delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 oz Delallo uncooked whole wheat pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)
2 slices center cut bacon, chopped
1 shallot, minced
15 oz homemade or canned pumpkin puree
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and fresh pepper to taste
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella (I recommend: Polly-O)

Method:

Complete recipe from Skinnytaste found HERE. 

Happy Cooking!

Risotto Piemonte

A big thank you to my friends Stacy & Matt Petronzio who were kind enough to share this amazing family recipe. In Stacy's own words, "A dinner party favorite! We call this Risotto Piemonte because it is a family recipe from my husband's great-grandmother, who came from the Piedmont region of Italy...and now we make it in the Piedmont of North Carolina."
...and now for my words:
This is out of this world delicious. It's completely authentic and requires a lot of love and care to prepare...and it is entirely worth the effort. Make sure you have a big glass of cabernet, some music playing in the background, and someone in the kitchen to keep you company. This takes time, but it is amazing to watch (and smell) it all come together. If you'll try it, I promise you will experience something really special!

From the Doggone Good! cookbook:


"56 oz. (4 cans) chicken, beef or vegetable stock, low-sodium optional
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 oz salt pork, very finely diced (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb lean ground beef (we use 90% lean)
12 oz fresh Portabella mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 medium bay leaves
1 1/2 c arborio rice
1 1/2 c white wine
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste 

Method:
Pour stock into medium stock pot, cover and bring to a simmer. This will be added into the rice as it cooks and needs to be hot. You may not need all of the stock to cook the rice, so do not be concerned if there is some left at the end. Separately, heat a large stock pot over medium high heat, and add extra virgin olive oil. Add very finely chopped salt pork (optional), almost paste-like, and saute until golden brown. Next, add onion and stir until translucent and turning golden. Add garlic and saute quickly. Add ground beef, and break into fine pieces. Brown well to build flavor. Add mushrooms and saute mixture together until mushrooms cook to half of their original size. Add bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste.  Next, add rice and toast with other ingredients for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add wine and stir, deglazing bottom of pan to extract flavors. Begin adding hot stock from the medium pan by ladling liquid over mixture in the large stockpot. Add enough to cover the rice and stir constantly until absorbed. Add more stock as it is absorbed, and/or evaporates, making sure that the rice is at all times just covered by the stock. Pay close attention to the consistency of the rice, which should be creamy, not runny, when done. When the rice appears to be approaching completion, taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Keep in mind that cheese will be added, which will also add to the saltiness of the dish. When rice is fully cooked, turn off heat, add butter and stir vigorously. When risotto glistens, add cheese and stir thoroughly. Add parsley for color and serve immediately. Add Parmesan cheese to taste. Mangia! Serves 6-8 as an entree." (Or 2 with leftovers at the Lawson house!!)

Happy Cooking!

Beef Daube Provencal

This was another super easy crockpot recipe. Cooking Light never fails in the deliciousness of their recipes, and this was no exception. I thought this might be a stretch for the kids with the carrots being so evident, but they absolutely loved it. The entire dish was GONE in one night!! PLEASE do not let my lack of photography skills deter you ;)

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

12 garlic cloves, crushed

1 boneless chuck roast, 2 lbs, trimmed and cut into 2-in pieces

1 1/4 salt, divided

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 cup red wine

2 cups chopped carrots

1 1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth

1 T tomato paste

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Dash of ground cloves

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 bay leaf

3 cups cooked medium egg noodles

Method:

Complete recipe from Cooking Light found HERE

Happy Cooking!

Eleven Madison Park Granola

This recipe from my dear friend, Alyssa. Alyssa has made this for us on several girls weekends, and it is a HUGE hit! She makes it for her family often and usually has a bag of granola in tow for her kiddos (or herself) on the go. I made the granola this week for my Bible study, and, not only did my house smell amazing, the granola was also delicious and is completely gone! This was super easy and so so so much better tasting and better for you than the packaged granola. Give it a try!



Recipe linked from the New York Times.

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup shelled pistachios
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dried sour cherries

Method:
Full recipe from the New York Times website can be found HERE.

Happy Cooking!