This quick restaurant style salsa is so easy to make – you’ll have salsa on your table in less than 5 minutes!…
Archives for February 2017
Hearty Vegetable Soup
Do you love soup as much as I do? If so – I think you’ll like this recipe for my very favorite – and hearty! – vegetable soup.
I’ve been making this soup for several winters now, and every time I taste it I’m pleasantly reminded of how delicious and filling it is. It is packed with lots of different vegetables, and has a kick of lemon which adds a lovely fresh and bright flavor.
I’ve read that eating a wide variety of colors of fruits and vegetables is good for you. Well, check it out! Green, yellow, orange, purple, and white. That should be good, right?
And there’s a ~ secret ingredient ~ that makes this soup really hearty. Any guesses?
Garbanzo beans! They make a big difference and make the soup super satisfying.
Also satisfying: this soup is really easy to make. I love to whip up a batch of this hearty vegetable soup on a Sunday, and pack it for lunch for a few days during the week. Then, I’ll freeze any leftovers (if there are any!) for a future meal.
Just chop up and sauté your veggies,
Add stock and simmer until the veggies are soft,
Then use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the stockpot. I like to leave a little texture – it’s a “hearty” soup, after all!
Serve garnished with parsley and lemon zest for a nice fresh flavor.
What is your go-to winter soup?
This recipe is adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Soup cookbook.
Hearty Vegetable Soup
This hearty vegetable soup is packed with lots of different vegetables, and has a kick of lemon which adds a lovely fresh and bright flavor.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 leeks chopped, including light green parts
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 shallot chopped
- 4 carrots peeled and sliced
- 4 small zucchini, or 2 large sliced
- 2 small yellow squash sliced
- 1 pound red potatoes sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 -15 ounce can garbanzo beans drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest minced
Instructions
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Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Cook leeks, garlic, and shallot until softened, about 4-5 minutes.
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Add the carrots, zucchini, squash, and potatoes and cook another 4-5 minutes.
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Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add stock and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes.
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Add garbanzo beans and cook 2-3 minutes.
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Remove stockpot from heat. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper.
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Using an immersion blender, blend soup until almost smooth - but leave a little texture. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend in a food processor or blender.
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Stir in half the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve topped with a sprinkle of parsley, lemon zest, and a twist of fresh ground black pepper.
Farfalle with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Sausage
Looking for a quick and easy meal after a long day at work? Look no further, my friend! This recipe combines farfalle pasta with a creamy tomato sauce and plenty of sweet Italian sausage. This meal comes together quickly — and most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
This dinner is fast and easy enough to cook on weeknights after a long day of work – and delicious and pretty enough to serve guests. Definitely my favorite kind of meal!
First, heat a pot of salted water on the stove for your pasta.
While you wait for the water to boil, dice an onion, crumble up your sausage, and chop your canned tomatoes.
(Pro tip: quickly chop your tomatoes right in the can using kitchen shears. No messy cutting board clean-up!)
Then you’re ready to start cooking!
Brown your sausage, add onions and cook until soft, then add the tomatoes and cream and simmer.
While your sauce is simmering, drop your pasta. By the time the pasta is cooked, your sauce will have thickened and become completely delicious.
Drain your pasta, mix everything together, and serve topped with some Parmesan cheese.
Buon appetito!
This recipe was adapted from AllRecipes.com
Farfalle with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Sausage
Try this quick and tasty weeknight pasta dinner! Creamy tomato sauce with Italian sausage and onion.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces farfalle (bow tie) pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/4 pounds sweet Italian sausage remove and discard casings, crumble the meat
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons parsley minced
- Parmesan cheese grated or shaved, for garnish
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, for pasta.
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Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds until sausage is browned.
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Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft, 4-5 minutes.
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Reduce heat to medium-low. Add tomatoes and their juices, cream, and salt. Simmer 8-10 minutes while you cook the pasta, stirring occasionally. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta.
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Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, add pasta to sauce, and stir in parsley.
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Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan cheese.
Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo
Here’s a quick, delicious, and very easy recipe for grilled veggie sandwiches with pesto mayo. The end results are so impressive that, if you serve the sandwiches on fancy plates, you will think you are eating at a cool café.
And the great news here is that you should also have some tasty grilled veggies left over to toss on a salad, heat up with some chicken breasts, or add to a soup later on in the week.
BONUS!
So – go find your favorite veggies to toss on the grill – my suggestions are below – but feel free to switch it up!
Cut the veggies up, toss them with herbs and olive oil,
and cook them on a nice hot grill pan until they are perfect.
Stack the grilled veggies and pesto mayo on fresh bread, and you have yourself an awesome lunch.
Ta-da! Check out those grill marks!
This recipe is adapted from the Skinnytaste Cookbook.
Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Pesto Mayo
Quick and easy grilled veggie sandwich, perfect for a weekend lunch. Make sure to grill up some extra of your favorite veggies for a healthy topping for salads, a side for a weeknight dinner, or toss in some soup later in the week!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant cut into 1/4 inch wide slices
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
- 1 yellow squash or zucchini cut into 1/4 inch wide slices
- 1/2 red onion cut into 1/4 inch wedges
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp prepared pesto
- 2 oz. goat cheese optional
- salt and pepper
- 8 slices fresh bakery bread
Instructions
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Heat grill pan over medium-high heat
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Toss chopped veggies in a bowl or on a sheet pan with 2 tbsp olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Grill veggies in batches until soft, approximately 4-5 minutes per side. Set cooked veggies aside while you continue to grill the rest.
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While you are grilling veggies, prepare the pesto mayonnaise. Mix mayonnaise in a small bowl with prepared pesto. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
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Once all veggies are grilled, lightly brush bread on one side with olive oil. Grill, olive oil side down, until lightly toasted.
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Assemble sandwiches with pesto mayonnaise, and a smear of goat cheese, if using.
