Roasted Garlic Shrimp in Tomato Sauce with Croutons and Goat Cheese

My sister-in-law brought this dish to my attention one night when we combined resources and decided to cook together. This is such an easy dish and yet it's a restaurant quality meal. Perfectly roasted, plump shrimp sit atop a chunky tomato bed spiked with oregano and red pepper flakes, flanked by crispy seasoned croutons and creamy dollops of goat cheese. I mean swoon-worthy, really. It’s warm and inviting and fancy enough for guest but takes little time to throw together. This was adapted from Ina Garten, who also adds in fennel, which would be a great addition if you have it on hand. Serve this with hunks of crusty bread for dipping and light side salad for an easy but delicious meal.

Italian Beef and Vegetable Ragu with Soft Parmesan Polenta

This is one of those recipes that I cooked up in my head on the fly while trying to clean out the frig and freezer. So I tried to get all the measurements right, but please take these with a grain of proverbial salt because I don’t really measure anything when I cook on the fly and so you might want a little more or less of this or that. Tasting along the way is always encouraged! This was such an incredibly comforting dish and quite honestly, rather healthy if I say so myself. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight! A happy medley of tender vegetables and earthy beef bits swimming in a lightly spiced chunky tomato sauce. You could easily swap in turkey or chicken in lieu of the beef and any other vegetables you have laying around. The sauce is thick and homey and marries perfectly with Emeril’s parmesan polenta recipe, which is my go-to polenta these days. This would totally be an easy weeknight meal too. Enjoy!

Ditalini with Braised Kale, Bacon and White Beans

I love kale. I really do. It's kind of wierd because kale is this tough leafy green that just screams "I'm SURE you do NOT want to eat me!" It just looks scary. But it's one of my most favorite greens on the planet. It's hearty and earthy and brings such a lovely chew to dishes and by god, it's good for you too! Crazy I know. I also quite adore cannelini beans. It somewhat borders on obsessed. In soups and stews and right out of the can (or pot if I've taken the time to cook fresh ones). They bring such creaminess to any recipe that's so satisfying and again, amazing, but good for you. So I decided to take these two healthy items and, well, dress them with bacon and cheese and toss them with pasta for what is becoming one of my all time favorite dishes. Yes, I took healthy vegetables and made them...um, less healthy. But it's still kind of healthy. I mean, there are greens and legumes in here. Some credit please? But seriously, this was so fast (less than 30 minutes) and so satisfying that I ate all the leftovers for breakfast and now I'm pissed I don't have more for lunch. I am seriously obsessed with this dish. And go for the Ditalini if you can find it, super fun shape to to eat! Enjoy!

Heatlyh Italian White Bean Stew with Bacon

I have a love affair with white beans….the bigger the better. They are creamy and luscious and I just swoon over them. Ok that probably makes me a giant kitchen dork, but it’s true. The other good thing about beans is they are super healthy. So when I added a little bit of bacon to this dish, I didn’t feel bad at all. In fact, this dish is really rather good for you. It’s a hearty stew of sweet Italian tomatoes (I like to use the fire roasted variety), tender vegetables with that added flair from the fennel, creamy and satisfying large white beans and then the pop of bacon here and there. The woodsy notes from the rosemary give this a rustic homey feel. We had this for dinner and then promptly finished it off the next night. Topped with a generous sprinkle of pecorino, it really hits the spot. You could also make it veg by omitting the bacon and just sautéing the vegetables in olive oil only. It’s warm and soothing and reminds me of the decadent flavors of my favorite pasta dishes without the guilt of eating pasta. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup for the Soul

We've all been hearing the endless horror stories of the 2013 flu season. I myself was struck down for three weeks (yes, 3!) with some crazy head and chest virus. So it comes as no real surprise that people are scrambling for soup. I've had several emails from friends and family asking for my chicken soup recipe specifically and I was pretty surprised to see I have like zero soup recipes posted! Shame on me. I know. I've also been a neglectful blogger. I'm telling you, being pregnany kind of rules your world for a while. But I'm back and I'm kicking off 2013 with soup for the soul. Chicken soup is magical and so easy to make. Honestly. And if you are not into making your own stock (which you should be because it is crazy easy people!) you can always make stock while making the soup or use a store bought short cut. Whatever your please, this soup will fill you up and steam out any aches and pains. Freeze extra in ziplock bags for a quick meal during the week! (I'll have to take a picture next time I make this.)

Revamped Grandma's Chicken Soup
by a girl and her kitchen

1 whole chicken, broken down (or buy a couple legs, thighs and a couple breasts, but better to have butcher break down a whole chicken if you can as the backbone has a lot of flavor for your brother)
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 celery stalks, cleaned, chunky dice
4 carrots, cleaned and chunky dice (peel if you prefer)
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (use fire roasted from Multi Glen for extra flavor)
1 cup mushrooms, chunky dice (optional)
1-2 cups kale/chard/spinach, chopped (optional)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp herbs de provence
1 lemon
1 package of no-yolk egg noodles (i prefer the extrawide ones)
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 parmesan rind (optional but worth it!)
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
water (may supplement part with homemade broth)
***1 container of good store bought chicken broth (optional, see note below)

In a very large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables (carrot, onion, garlic, celery (and mushrooms and greens if using) and season with a heavy pinch of salt and pepper and sauté for 5-8 minutes stirring periodically so nothing burns.

Add in the chicken pieces and stir to combine. (Cooks Note: For better flavored soup, roast the chicken before using in soup. To pre-roast: in a large bowl toss the chicken pieces with 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp of pepper and 3 tbsp olive oil, spread out evenly on a cookie sheet pan (preferably one with edges so no juices run off the sides) and cook at 400 degrees for at least 30 minutes so it starts to brown and get crispy…won’t be fully cooked, but if only making soup this should be enough).

Add in tomatoes and their juices, cheese rind, herbs (dried and fresh) and enough water to cover the chicken by a few inches (but make sure you leave an inch or so of space between the top of the pan and the liquid). If you do not have a long time to cook the soup (~4 hrs) to develop good flavor, then replace some of the water with a large container of store bought chicken broth (or better yet, homemade!) so that you give your broth a boost of help.

Raise heat to medium high to bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer at medium-low heat for at least two hours (if using raw chicken and not pre-roasting, worth cooking a bit longer). Taste the soup broth after a few hours to see if you need more salt/pepper or herbs. Add them as needed.

Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the chickenand discard the bones, skin and fat. Dice/shred the chicken. Add it back to the pot. While you are dicing the chicken, bring the soup back up to a boil and once the broth is boiling, add the noodles and cook according to package instructions (Cooks Note: Cook for 1 or 2 minutes less than package directions). Once noodles are cooked, add the chicken back to the pot to stir to combine. Squeeze 1/2 lemon and stir. Remove the cheese rind and bay leaf. Taste for seasoningand adjust as needed. Serve hot.
Top each plate with grated parmesan or pecorino and a bit more chopper parsley and enjoy.